Law Society president criticises court fees

It is “wrong in principle for the courts to make a profit for the government,” the Law Society has said in a firm rebuttal of government proposals to hike court fees for a second time. Law Society president John Smithers said there had been no assessment of the impact of increases of more than 600% just six months ago, which solicitors believe will stop people from bringing legitimate cases. He also reiterated Law Society concerns for higher fees for divorce claims. The government proposes to charge £550 but the Ministry of Justice estimates the actual cost to the courts to be £270.