The court fee to start a small claim scales with the amount you are claiming — £35 to £455. Here is the full scale, whether you get it back, and the RobinReturn fee that sits alongside it.
The court fee to issue a small claim in England & Wales is a fixed sum set by the value of your claim — from £35 for the smallest claims to £455 near the £10,000 small-claims limit. You add it to your claim, so a debtor who is ordered to pay generally repays it too.
The fee to issue a claim on the small-claims track (HMCTS scale, CPR 45). Fees can change — check GOV.UK for the current figures.
| Claim value | Court fee to issue |
|---|---|
| Up to £300 | £35 |
| £300.01 – £500 | £50 |
| £500.01 – £1,000 | £70 |
| £1,000.01 – £1,500 | £80 |
| £1,500.01 – £3,000 | £115 |
| £3,000.01 – £5,000 | £205 |
| £5,000.01 – £10,000 | £455 |
The fee is not money lost. Added to the claim, it comes back from the debtor when you win.
The court fee is added to the amount you claim, so if the debtor is ordered to pay, the judgment normally covers the fee along with the debt and any statutory interest. RobinReturn’s flat £35 claim-preparation fee is separate — it is our charge for preparing the documents, not a court fee, so on the small-claims track treat it as part of your own outlay.
One thing to plan for: if the debtor defends the claim and it is listed for a hearing, a separate hearing fee applies on top of the issue fee. Most undisputed invoices end in a default judgment without a hearing, so it often does not arise — but it is worth knowing before you start. Not sure a claim is worth it? Check the debtor can actually pay first, or work out your total with the calculator.
The court fee to issue a claim scales with how much you are claiming — from £35 for the smallest claims up to £455 for a claim near £10,000. It is a fixed sum for the band, not a percentage of what you recover, and you can add it to your claim.
Usually, yes. The court fee is added to the amount you claim, so a debtor who is ordered to pay generally repays it along with the debt and any interest. RobinReturn's own claim-preparation fee is separate — it is what we charge to prepare the documents, not a court fee added to the judgment.
There can be. If the debtor defends the claim and it is listed for a hearing, a separate hearing fee applies on top of the issue fee. Undefended claims that end in a default judgment usually avoid it. Fees can change, so check the current schedule on GOV.UK.
It is a fixed fee set by the value of your claim, under the HMCTS small-claims scale — not a percentage of what you recover. The table on this page shows the current bands.
The claimant pays the issue fee upfront to start the claim, and it is added to the amount claimed — so if you win, including by default when the debtor does not respond, the judgment normally orders the debtor to repay it on top of the debt. There is no fee to defend a claim.
No. HMCTS court fees are exempt from VAT.
The Help with Fees scheme can reduce or waive court fees for individuals on a low income with little savings — a sole trader may qualify. A limited company cannot use the scheme, so incorporated claimants pay the full fee.
RobinReturn charges a flat £35 to prepare the claim documents — the N1 claim form and Particulars of Claim. The HMCTS court fee above is separate and paid to the court when you file. RobinReturn is not a law firm and does not give legal advice.
Begin with a reminder — most invoices are paid long before a court fee comes into it. RobinReturn is not a law firm and does not give legal advice.