How is the court fee for a small claim worked out?
The issue fee is a fixed sum set by the band your claim falls in — the amount you are claiming plus any interest you add. It is not a percentage of what you recover.
Small claims · Free tool
Court fee
calculator.
Enter what you are claiming and see the HMCTS fee to issue a small claim in England & Wales — plus the hearing fee if the debtor defends it.
Direct answer
The HMCTS fee to issue a small claim in England & Wales runs from £35 to £455, set by the amount you claim plus interest. If the claim is defended and listed for a hearing, a hearing fee of £27 to £346 applies on top.
THE DEBT ITSELF, IN POUNDS · SMALL CLAIMS UP TO £10,000
THE FEE IS BASED ON THE CLAIM PLUS INTEREST
HMCTS court fees
What the court charges
Claim value (amount + interest)£2,500.00
Issue fee, online or paper (band £1,500.01 – £3,000)£115
Hearing fee, only if defended and listed (band £1,500.01 – £3,000)£181
HMCTS fees for England & Wales, last checked against GOV.UK on 24 September 2026. Fees change — confirm the current figure on GOV.UK before you pay. Illustrative only, not legal advice.
Good to know
Before you
pay a fee.
Fees last checked against GOV.UK on 24 September 2026. They change, so confirm the figure on GOV.UK before paying.
The court expects a letter before action to have gone first — see the letter before action before a small claim. For the full fee table and whether you get the fee back, read small claims court fees explained. To add statutory interest to a late B2B invoice, use the late payment interest calculator.
Individuals on a low income may qualify for Help with Fees; a limited company cannot. This calculator covers England & Wales only. RobinReturn is not a law firm and does not give legal advice.
FAQs
Court fee questions,
answered.
Is the fee different online and on paper?
For money claims up to £10,000, GOV.UK lists the same issue fee whether you claim online through Money Claim Online or on paper with form N1.
When do I pay the hearing fee?
Only if the debtor defends the claim and the court lists it for a small-claims hearing. It runs from £27 to £346 by claim value. Many undefended claims end in a default judgment with no hearing fee at all.
Do I get the court fees back if I win?
Usually. The issue fee is added to your claim, so a debtor ordered to pay generally repays it with the debt. Whether a hearing fee is recovered is for the court to decide.
What if my claim is over £10,000?
It falls outside the small-claims track and a different fee applies, so this calculator does not quote it. Check the current fee on GOV.UK.
Try a letter
before a court fee.
Start with a reminder or a letter before action — you only pay a court fee if the debt is still unpaid.