You are eligible for a fee reduction or exemption if you are the primary cardholder of a:

• Health Care Card
• Pensioner Concession Card
• Commonwealth Seniors Health Card, or
• any other card issued by Centrelink or the Department of Veterans' Affairs that entitles you to Commonwealth health concessions.

How to apply

If you meet the above criteria, you will be asked to provide the relevant details when submitting your application on the eCourts Portal.

You are also eligible for a fee reduction or exemption if:

• you are receiving:
  • Legal Aid
  • Youth allowance
  • Austudy payments, or
  • Abstudy payments.
• you are aged 18 or under; or
• you are serving a sentence of imprisonment, or otherwise detained in a public institution.

How to apply

If you meet the above 'other' fee concession criteria, you must:

Complete the relevant exemption or reduction form.

Attach photocopies of documents to support your application where relevant (such as your Legal Aid letter) and submit an Application to Reduce Fee via the eCourts Portal.

This application must be determined before the related fee-attracting document can be lodged.

To demonstrate financial hardship, you will need to apply with the form below by submitting an Application to Reduce Fee via the eCourts Portal.

This application must be determined before the related fee-attracting document can be lodged. If the Court approves your application, you will receive a fee reduction or exemption.

How to apply

If you are making a divorce or nullity application, you need to apply for a fee reduction.

Use these Guidelines to assist in completing the Fee Reduction form.

For other applications/fees, complete the fee exemption form.

Use these Guidelines to assist in completing the Fee Reduction form.

If there is more than one applicant, all applicants need to be eligible. For example, if you make a joint application for divorce, both applicants would need to prove they meet the criteria, or the full fee would apply.

A Registrar can defer the payment of a fee if the matter is urgent, and if it would be unreasonable to require immediate payment due to the party’s financial circumstances.

To request a fee deferral, you will need to apply with the form below by submitting an Application to Reduce Fee via the eCourts Portal. This application must be determined before the related fee-attracting document can be lodged.

More details are included on the application form below.

If you have paid for a hearing day or a conciliation conference and it does not go ahead (for example, because your case was settled or discontinued) you may be able to have the fee refunded.

Setting down fees cannot be refunded, and hearing fee refunds require you to have given the court sufficient notice the hearing would not go ahead. You will need to apply with the form below by submitting a Request for Refund via the eCourts Portal.

More details are included on the application form below.