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Child Support Act 1991

General provisions - Miscellaneous provisions

233: Court fees

You could also call this:

“Court fees are usually free, but sometimes you might have to pay”

You don’t have to pay court fees for cases under this law, unless special rules say otherwise. These special rules are made under section 235.

If you do have to pay fees and it would be really hard for you to pay them, you can ask the court office for help. The person in charge at the court office (called a Registrar) can decide to lower the fees or even cancel them completely. They can also give you back money if you’ve already paid fees that are too high for you.

The Registrar can do this without needing extra permission. They will look at your situation and decide what’s fair.

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This page was last updated on

View the original legislation for this page at https://legislation.govt.nz/act/public/1986/0120/latest/link.aspx?id=DLM257347.

Topics:
Family and relationships > Children and parenting Crime and justice > Courts and legal help
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232: Costs, or

"The court decides who pays for the legal costs in child support cases"

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234: Rules of procedure, or

"How the court handles child support cases"

Part 14 General provisions
Miscellaneous provisions

233Court fees

  1. Unless otherwise provided by regulations made under section 235, no court fees shall be taken by a Registrar of the Family Court or District Court in respect of any proceeding under this Act.

  2. Where it appears to a Registrar of the Family Court or District Court that the payment of any fees prescribed as payable in respect of any proceeding under this Act, or of those fees in full, would cause undue hardship to the person liable for their payment, the Registrar may write off the whole or such part of the fees as the Registrar thinks fit, and may, without further appropriation than this section, refund all such fees that have already been paid or any part of such fees.

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Notes
  • Section 233(1): amended, on , by section 261 of the District Court Act 2016 (2016 No 49).
  • Section 233(2): amended, on , by section 261 of the District Court Act 2016 (2016 No 49).