Court Fees Increase From 22nd April 2014

2014 No. 874 (L. 17) 1. This explanatory memorandum has been prepared by the Ministry of Justice and is laid before Parliament by Command of Her Majesty. This memorandum contains information for the Joint Committee on Statutory Instruments. 2. Purpose of the instrument 2.1 This instrument changes existing fees in the Civil Proceedings Fees Order 2008. The fee changes are being brought as part of a wider review of fees across the civil court system to ensure that the income they generate more closely matches the costof the service being provided. The instrument changes the wording for some fees to reflect changes resulting from the creation of the single County Court on 22 April 2014. 3. Matters of special interest to the Joint Committee on Statutory Instruments 3.1 References in the Order to "a county court" or "county courts…

Key Changes In Employment Law

Some significant changes to employment law started in April this year, mainly in the area of family leave.  The headline news is the introduction of shared parental leave but various other changes will also take effect. Gillian Reid our Head of Employment at Ware & Kay, looks at the main changes and what you need to do as a result. Shared parental leave A flexible system of shared parental leave and pay will be available where the expected week of childbirth started on or after 5 April 2015.  The mother must still take the first two weeks off after the birth but the rest of her leave and pay can then be shared between the parents, either in turns or at the same time.  This means that up to 50 weeks' leave and 37 weeks…

Boundary Disputes Where Do You Draw The Line

"To hear the words 'a boundary dispute' is to fill a judge, even of the most stalwart and amiable disposition, with a deep foreboding since disputes with neighbours tend always to compel… some unreasonable and extravagant display of unneighbourly behaviour which profits no one but the lawyers" A little cynical, perhaps; but that was Lord Justice Ward's view in the leading case of Alan Wibberley Building v Insley (1998), who rightfully observes, that whilst every dispute has the potential to become personal to the parties involved - the parties become entrenched and it becomes a "matter of principle" - that is even more so, when the parties are engaged in a boundary dispute. Often, the land subject to the dispute has little or no substantial monetary value; but it may have a real non-money value…

Court Fees On The Rise

Court fees are set to increase with effect from 9 March 2015, the necessary legislation having passed through the House of Lords this week. For claims under £10,000, fees to issue the claim will not increase. For claims above £10,000, the fee to issue the claim will increase to 5% of the value of the claim, for example £750 to issue a claim for £15,000 (as opposed to £455 now) or £2,500 to issue a claim for £50,000 (as against £610 now). The maximum issue fee for a money claim will be capped at £10,000 (for claims of £200,000 or above). The current maximum issue fee is £1,910, so, not surprisingly, the increases are controversial, and seen as having potential implications for access to justice. Money claims include both debts and claims for damages (for…