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Sheriff Court fees

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Please note new court fees apply from 1 April 2024.

Fees

The list below shows the fees that are charged for the most common applications and stages of procedure in the sheriff court. If you need to know the fee for any other application, you can either look at the fee order or contact your local sheriff court.

Fee payable from 1 April 2024:

Petition for adoption - £141

Fee payable from 1 April 2024:

Petition for sequestration - £126

Misc. applications (including appeals) in sequestration - £65

Fee payable from 1 April 2024:

Up to 10 pages (includes search fee) - £20

Each page in excess of 10 pages - £0.50

Fee payable from 1 April 2024:

Dative petition - £20

Receiving and examining inventory, value of estate not exceeding:

  • £50,000 - No fee
  • £50,000.01 (up to £250,000) - £282
  • Exceeding £250,000 - £565

Certificate (if ordered when lodging inventory) - £8

Certificate (if lodged subsequent to lodging inventory)

  • (i) first certificate including search fee - £20
  • (ii) each subsequent certificate - £8

Copy or duplicate confirmation

  • If ordered when lodging inventory: £13
  • If ordered subsequently (including search fee): £29
  • Extra duplicate ordered at same time: £13

Certified extract confirmation and will (if any)

  • If ordered when lodging inventory: £29
  • If ordered subsequently (including search fee): £41
  • Extra certified extract ordered at same time: £29

Copy will

  • If ordered when lodging inventory: £8
  • If ordered subsequently (including search fee): £20
  • Extra copy will ordered at same time £8

Inventory in respect of death of emergency service personnel etc, death in active service or death of constables and service personnel targeted because of their status, where exempt from paying inheritance tax by virtue of sections 153A, 154 and 155A of the Inheritance Act 1984 - No fee (Fees for certificates, copies, etc. should be charged as normal).

Fee payable from 1 April 2024:

  • Summary complaint raising a private prosecution - £42
  • Petition for removal of disqualification - £101

Fee payable from 1 April 2024:

Application for simplified divorce/dissolution of civil partnership - £137

After you have submitted your application the SCTS will contact you if service by a sheriff officer is required.

Service by sheriff officer in a simplified divorce/dissolution of civil partnership - £13 plus Sheriff Officer's fee

Fee payable from 1 April 2024:

  • Initial writ (ordinary/summary applications) - £141
  • NID/reopening note (ordinary) - £141
  • Caveat - £48
  • Record - £126
  • Fixing proof - £60
  • Each day or part day of proof, debate or hearing in summary application/misc. application - £256
  • Initial lodging of affidavits in undefended family action- £73
  • Motion or minute - £54
  • Appeal to Sheriff Principal - £126

Ordinary Divorce/Dissolution

  • Application for ordinary divorce/dissolution - £168
  • NID/reponing note (ordinary divorce/dissolution) - £168
  • Motion or minute (ordinary divorce/dissolution) - £54
  • Record (ordinary divorce/dissolution) - £126
  • Fixing Proof (ordinary divorce/dissolution) - £60
  • Each day or part day of proof, debate or hearing (ordinary divorce/dissolution) - £256
  • Initial lodging of affidavits in undefended ordinary divorce/dissolution- £73
  • Appeal to Sheriff Principal - £126

Fee payable from 1 April 2024:

  • Note in Liquidation or judicial factor - £42
  • Auditors fee – account lodged - £49
  • Summary Warrant - £82
  • Certificate - Civil Jurisdiction and Judgments Act 1982 - £29

Fee payable from 15 June 2017:

Transcript of evidence at the enquiry in terms of Rule 4.8 of the Act of Sederunt (Fatal Accident Inquiry Rules) 2017

  1. where a transcript has to be made - £1.61 for each minute that has to be transcribed; or
  2. where a transcript has already been made -
  • £6.00 for a photocopy of a transcript up to 10 pages; and
  • £0.50 for each page in excess of 10 pages.

NB. Where more than one person makes a request within 28 days following the date of the sheriff’s determination, the sheriff may make an order about how the fee payable is to be divided between them.

As from 28 November 2016, if you are raising a claim which has a monetary value of £5000 or less which seeks payment, delivery, recovery of possession or an order for someone to do something specific, you should use the Simple Procedure.

Fee payable from 1 April 2024:

  • To lodge a summons for summary cause or claim form for simple procedure cases in actions for sums of money £300 or less (or 250 euros for European small claim) - £20
  • To lodge a summons or claim form in all other actions - £112
  • Marking of an appeal - £65 (Sheriff Appeal Court fees due in relation to appeal procedures can be found in the Sheriff Appeal Court Fees (Civil) section of the SCTS website)
  • The SCTS will contact you if service by a sheriff officer is required. Service of summons or claim form by sheriff officer - £13 plus Sheriff Officer's fee

Fee payable from 1 April 2024:

Second extract fee (includes search fee) - £20

Fee payable from 1 April 2024:

Any search of records or archives (except those provided for in commissary section):

  • Per 30 minutes or part thereof - £13
  • In addition correspondence fee where applicable – £13

Fee payable from 1 April 2024

  • Initial writ - £241
  • Defences - £241
  • Motion or minute (or written opposition) - £60
  • Fixing proof/trial/debate/hearing on merits - £65
  • Hearing fee - £89
  • Record (personal injury case) - £119
  • Citation of civil jury - £336
  • Certified copy of document - £20

NB: Additional fees for further steps in procedure may be required - you can get further information from the sheriff clerk's office.

Accepted payment methods

Made payable to "The Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service".

Please check which types of card are acceptable with the appropriate court.

Made payable to "The Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service".

If paying by post it is not advisable to make cash payments.

Fee Orders

The current Fee Order is available on the legislation.gov.uk website at the link below.

Sheriff Court

The Sheriff Court Fees Order 2022 as amended by the Sheriff Court Fees Amendment Order 2022 with effect from 1 July 2022)