The £75 fee charged for taking out a domestic violence injunctions is to be abolished from 22 April, the government has announced.
The fee is currently charged for non-molestation and occupation orders. The former are legal orders prohibiting certain behaviour in order to protect the applicant and any children of the former relationship. Occupation orders, meanwhile, prohibit one party from entering or approaching a house or property for a period of time, even if they are the legal owners.
Around 20,000 applications for such orders were made in 2012, Family Law reports.
Meanwhile, there will be an increase in the fees payable for financial claims, up to a maximum of £1,920.
Conservative MP Shailesh Vara is Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice. He said:
“We have one of the best legal systems in the world and we are making sure our courts are properly resourced so that they can continue to build on their excellent reputation.”
He added:
“…we are scrapping the fee for domestic violence injunctions to make sure there are no unnecessary barriers between people and the help they need. And people who cannot afford court fees do not have to pay – they can apply for waivers using the means-tested remissions system.”
“Around 20,000 applications for such orders were made in 2012, Family Law reports.”
20,000 in one year alone!!!
“we are scrapping the fee for domestic violence injunctions to make sure there are no unnecessary barriers between people and the help they need.”
Well…… they’ve already scrapped the burden of proof so I guess scrapping fees was going to be the next step…. just do a body scan… measure the width if the shoulders, distance between the eyes, check for the meat and two veg and bob’s your uncle.
Marilyn: please don’t refer to “taking out an injunction”.
It’s not a dog licence, for older hands who remember such things. You don’t just fill in the form and pay the fee and get it.
You apply for it. And the choice of verb is important.
“You don’t just fill in the form and pay the fee and get it.”
Actually Andrew, in my experience this is exactly what the process has been reduced to.