Northern Ireland Divorce Court Fees 2026: Complete Cost Breakdown

The first question most people ask when considering divorce is what it will cost. In Northern Ireland, the answer depends on whether your case stays uncontested and whether it is heard in the County Court or the High Court. Here is what the court will charge you at each stage, based on the fee schedules effective from 1 April 2026.

The Three Mandatory Fees

A straightforward undefended divorce in Northern Ireland involves three separate court fee payments, one at each major stage of the process:

Presenting the petition: £326. You pay this when you lodge Form M1 and your supporting documents at the Matrimonial Office in Belfast. This fee is the same whether your case proceeds through the County Court or the High Court.

Setting down for hearing (listing fee): £407 in the County Court or £488 in the High Court. You pay this when you file your Certificate of Readiness (Form M8) and the Book of Pleadings to get a hearing date.

Applying for the Decree Absolute: £123. You pay this when you lodge Form M10 after the six-week-and-one-day waiting period following your Decree Nisi.

Total minimum cost for an uncontested divorce:

• County Court: £856
• High Court: £937

These figures cover court fees only. They do not include the cost of a professional process server, certified translations of foreign marriage certificates, or solicitor fees if you choose to instruct one.

Additional Fees You Might Face

If your divorce is not entirely straightforward, additional fees can arise:

• Respondent files an Answer or cross-petition: £163 (this is the respondent's cost, but it signals that your case is now defended and will transfer to the High Court)
• Application to deem service good (when the respondent will not return Form M6): £189 for an interlocutory application to a Matrimonial Master
• Application to a Family Division Judge: £244
• Ancillary Relief application (financial settlement dispute): £407 in County Court, £488 in High Court
• Ex parte injunction application: £326
• Appeal from a Master to a Judge: £310
• Appeal to the Court of Appeal: £814

A contested divorce with ancillary relief proceedings can push total court fees above £1,500 before you add solicitor and barrister fees, which commonly range from £1,500 to £4,000 or more per person.

County Court vs High Court: Which One?

Most uncontested divorces in Northern Ireland are heard in the County Court, which is £81 cheaper at the listing stage. A defended action transfers to the High Court. Ancillary relief applications have separate County Court and High Court fees, so the venue depends on the proceedings. If your divorce is amicable and undefended, the County Court path is the standard route.

How to Get Fees Waived: Form ER1

If you are on a low income or receiving certain state benefits, you can apply for a fee exemption or remission using Form ER1. Examples of benefit categories that can support a full exemption include Income Support, Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, and Universal Credit with low monthly earnings.

There is one critical rule that catches many personal petitioners: you must submit a separate Form ER1 for each individual fee. A single application does not cover your entire case. That means filing one Form ER1 with the petition (for the £326 fee), a second when setting down for hearing (for the £407 or £488 listing fee), and a third when applying for the Decree Absolute (for the £123 fee). Each should include the supporting evidence requested for that fee.

If you paid a fee and later realise you were eligible for an exemption, you can apply for a retroactive refund using the Court Fee Refund Form within six months of payment.

How Northern Ireland Compares

In England and Wales, a no-fault divorce uses an online portal and a single court fee. In Northern Ireland, the paper-based system means separate fees at each stage, and the combined minimum of £856 makes it one of the more expensive divorce jurisdictions in the UK. But the absence of mandatory solicitor involvement means a personal petitioner can keep total costs under £900 by handling the paperwork themselves.

Budgeting for the Full Process

Court fees are the largest fixed cost, but there are a few other expenses personal petitioners should plan for:

• Process server (optional): £50–£100 if you want sworn proof of delivery rather than relying on postal service. Particularly useful if you expect the respondent to deny receiving the papers.
• Long-form marriage certificate (if lost): The General Register Office for Northern Ireland charges for replacement certificates, with priority and certified-translation costs varying.
• Solicitor review (optional): Some personal petitioners draft their own petition and pay a solicitor a fixed fee (typically £200–£500) to review it before lodging. This is much cheaper than full representation while catching formatting errors that would cause rejection.

For someone handling everything themselves in the County Court with no complications, the realistic all-in cost is £856 in court fees plus perhaps £50–£150 for postage and certificates — well under £1,100 total.

Planning Your Fee Payments

Knowing exactly when each fee is due — and having the correct amount ready — prevents processing delays. The Northern Ireland Divorce Filing Process Guide includes a cost-planning worksheet that tracks fee payments alongside each filing stage and walks through the Form ER1 process for each exemption-eligible payment point.

See more Northern Ireland guides →