How Much Does It Cost to Take Someone to Small Claims Court? (2026 Fees)

The first cost is the issue fee — what you pay the court to open your claim. It is worked out from the amount you are claiming, including any interest you are adding. That last point catches people out: if you claim £2,950 plus £80 interest, you are claiming £3,030 and you fall into the next band up.

These are the current fees for money claims in England and Wales, as published by HM Courts & Tribunals Service in the EX50 fee list:

Above £10,000 your case is no longer a small claim, and both the fees and the risks change substantially — see the section on the £10,000 line below.

You pay this when you submit the claim, by card if you are filing online.

If the defendant disputes your claim and the case is listed for a final hearing, there is a second fee payable a few weeks before the hearing date. Many people budget for the issue fee and are then surprised by this one.

Two things follow from this. First, on a £4,000 claim that goes all the way to a hearing you are looking at £205 + £346 = £551 in court fees, not £205. Second, if the case settles before the hearing fee deadline, you do not pay it — which is one practical reason to keep talking to the other side even after you have issued.

Usually, yes — if you win. The small claims track deliberately keeps costs low by preventing the winner from recovering solicitors' fees, but court fees are different. A judge will normally order the losing side to repay:

• Your issue fee and hearing fee
• Reasonable travel expenses to attend the hearing
• Loss of earnings for attending, subject to a statutory cap
• Expert's fees, if the court gave permission for an expert, again capped

What you will not get back on the small claims track is the cost of hiring a solicitor. That is the trade-off: the track is designed so that ordinary people can use it without lawyers, so nobody can run up a large legal bill and hand it to the loser.

Ask for your costs explicitly at the end of the hearing. Judges do not always volunteer them, and a claim for costs you did not make is a claim you do not get.

Important: a costs order is not the same as being paid. If the defendant does not pay voluntarily, you will need to enforce the judgment — which has its own fees.

If you are on a low income or receive certain benefits, you may pay a reduced fee or nothing at all under the Help with Fees scheme (form EX160).

Broadly, you may qualify for full remission if you receive a qualifying benefit — such as Universal Credit, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Income Support, or the guarantee credit element of Pension Credit — or if your income is below the relevant threshold and your savings are limited. Partial remission is available where your income is a little above the threshold.

The critical practical point: apply at the same time as you file your claim. Help with Fees is not a refund scheme. If you pay the fee and then apply, you will generally not get the money back.

Check the current thresholds and evidence requirements on GOV.UK before you apply, as they are reviewed periodically.

£10,000 is the boundary of the small claims track for most money claims. Below it, the process is designed to be navigable without a lawyer. Above it, cases are usually allocated to the fast track, where:

• The issue fee becomes 5% of the amount claimed — £750 on a £15,000 claim
• The hearing fee rises sharply
• Costs shifting applies — the losing party can be ordered to pay the winner's legal costs, which can run to thousands

That last point is the real risk. On the small claims track, losing generally costs you your own fees. On the fast track, losing can cost you the other side's solicitor too.

This is why claim value matters so much, and why it is worth being precise about interest and any additional heads of loss that might push you over the line.

To budget properly, add up:

1. Issue fee — from the table above, based on claim plus interest
2. Hearing fee — only if the defendant defends and it is listed for a hearing
3. Enforcement fees — only if you win and they do not pay (from £55)

CourtPilot's free court fee calculator works this out for you from a single figure, including which track your claim falls into. If you are also claiming interest, the interest calculator will tell you what to add — and remember that interest counts towards the fee band.

Fees are set by statute and change from time to time. The figures here reflect the published EX50 fee list; always check GOV.UK for the position on the day you file.