Special Guardianship Order Court Fee and Help with Fees (EX160)

Court fees are one of the first things kinship carers ask about, and for good reason — many grandparents stepping in to raise a grandchild are on fixed incomes. The fee for an SGO application is straightforward, but the fee waiver system has its own paperwork and thresholds that trip people up.

The Current Fee

The Family Court application fee for a standalone special guardianship application on Form C1 is £270 (following the July 2026 HMCTS fee schedule revision). If you apply within existing proceedings on Form C2, check the current fee schedule for the fee specified for that process.

Help with Fees (EX160)

If you cannot afford the £270, the HMCTS Help with Fees scheme can waive some or all of it. You apply using Form EX160 — either on paper or online at the Help with Fees portal. The application is assessed against three tests, checked in order:

Test 1 — Passporting Benefits. If you receive any of the following, the full fee is waived automatically:

• Universal Credit (with gross annual earnings under £6,000)
• Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• Income Support
• Pension Credit (Guarantee Credit)

Test 2 — Capital. If you are not on a passporting benefit, your savings and investments must be below £4,250 (for a court fee of up to £1,420). Applicants aged 66 or over have a higher threshold of £16,000.

Test 3 — Monthly Income. If your capital is within limits but you are not on a passporting benefit, full remission depends on your gross monthly household income:

• Single, no children: £1,420 or less
• Couple, no children: £2,130 or less
• Add £425 per child aged 13 or under
• Add £710 per child aged 14 or over

If your income exceeds the full-waiver threshold but is still modest, you may receive a partial remission on a sliding scale.

Timing Matters

You need to generate your Help with Fees reference number before or at the time you submit the court application. If you pay the full fee upfront and later realise you qualified, you can apply for a retrospective refund within three months of the payment date — but it is simpler to apply in advance.

What the Fee Covers

The £270 covers the court's processing of the SGO application. It does not cover the cost of any additional applications you file (for example, a separate application for a contact order), nor does it cover the local authority assessment — that is a statutory duty the council performs at no cost to you once you have served your three months' notice.

Other Costs to Budget For

Beyond the court fee, the main costs of an SGO application are:

• Solicitor's fees if you use one (£200–£350+ per hour, or fixed-fee packages from roughly £1,000). Legal aid may be available if you meet strict means and merits tests and can show domestic abuse or child protection involvement.
• Mediation if you attend a MIAM (often free for those on low incomes; otherwise a one-off session typically costs £100–£150).
• Travel and time for attending court hearings — the court does not reimburse these.

Many kinship carers apply as litigants in person without a solicitor. The free helplines at Kinship (0300 123 7015) and Family Rights Group (0808 801 0366) can help you understand the process without the cost of legal representation.

For a complete walkthrough of the court fee, the EX160 application and every other step in the process, see our England SGO guide.

See more England guides →