Insolvency costs and court fees

Insolvency costs and court fees in England and Wales

The following fees are charged for insolvency in England and Wales

• A debt relief order (DRO) costs £90, paid directly to the Insolvency Service. You can spread this out by paying in instalments, but there are no reductions available
• Bankruptcy costs £680. This is made up of a £550 bankruptcy deposit and a £130 application fee, both of which are paid online. You can spread this out by paying in instalments, but there are no reductions available    
• With an individual voluntary arrangement (IVA) you don't pay an upfront fee, but a percentage of your monthly payment goes towards covering the cost of your IVA and your insolvency practitioner's fees

The following fees are charged for common county court processes. You may need to apply for some of these if you’re dealing with debt.

• Applying to change the payments to a CCJ - £14
• Applying to stop a bailiff collecting a CCJ or High Court writ - £14
• Applying to change the payments to a possession order - £14
• A certificate of satisfaction confirming you’ve paid off a CCJ - £14
• Applying to set aside (cancel) a CCJ - £255

You can find out details of other court fees in the court guide EX50 Civil and family court fees (PDF).

If you’re on a low income, or your income is from benefits only, you may qualify to have your court fees reduced or cancelled.

You can apply for help with court fees online. You don’t need to provide proof of income when you apply, but the court may write back to you asking for evidence.

Considering insolvency?

Insolvency costs and court fees in Northern Ireland

The following fees are charged for insolvency in Northern Ireland:

• A debt relief order (DRO) costs £90, paid directly to the Insolvency Service. There are no reductions available
• Bankruptcy costs £683. This is made up of a £525 bankruptcy deposit, a £151 court fee and a £7 solicitor’s fee. You may be able to get the court fee waived if you’re on a low income by competing form ER1 (PDF), but everyone has to pay the other costs 
• With an individual voluntary arrangement (IVA) you don't pay an upfront fee but a percentage of your monthly payment goes towards covering the cost of your IVA

You can find details of fees charged for court processes in Northern Ireland on the Courts and Tribunals Service website.

If you’re on a low income, or your income is from benefits only, you may qualify to have your court fees reduced or cancelled.

You apply for this using form ER1 Application for exemption or remission of a fee (PDF).

Before you apply read the guidance notes Do I have to pay fees? to find out if you qualify, and how to complete the ER1 form.

You may need to provide proof of income to qualify for help with your court fees. Check the guidance notes or ask the court for more details.

Insolvency costs and court fees in Scotland

The following fees are charged for insolvency in Scotland:

• Bankruptcy (also known as sequestration) costs £150, at least until the end of March 2021. This may be reduced to £0 if you receive certain benefits, even if those benefits are not your sole income.
• The fee for minimal asset process (MAP) bankruptcy is £50, at least until the end of March 2021. This may be reduced to £0 if you receive certain benefits, even if those benefits are not your sole income.
• With a protected trust deed you don't pay an upfront fee but a percentage of your monthly payment goes towards covering the cost of your trust deed

You can find details of fees charged for court processes in Scotland at the Scottish Courts and Tribunals website.

If you’re on a low income, or your income is from benefits only, you may qualify to have your court fees reduced or cancelled by completing a fee exemption form. You may need to provide proof of income to qualify for help.

Frequently asked questions

Get insolvency advice

For expert insolvency help use our free online debt advice tool. It'll help you build a personalised budget to see whether insolvency is the best solution for you, in around 20 minutes.

If it's not, it'll recommend an alternate solution suited to your financial situation.