Paying for justice

From Monday 9 March 2015 all proceedings for a monetary value of £10,000 or more will be subject to a 5% upfront fee as the price for issuing a claim form. The maximum charge is currently set at £10,000, so claims for £200,000 or more will cost claimants £10,000 up front.

Anyone bringing a claim which does not have a specified value (such as an application for an injunction, or an account) will be charged the full £10,000. This high threshold for claimants may well drive many people with legitimate claims to consider alternatives to the courts such as mediation or arbitration, but there is no doubt that some unscrupulous defendants will use the limited financial means of claimants to avoid justice.

For more information, help or advice please contact Rob Langley on 0191 211 7975 or [email protected]