State Legislature Increases Fees

The Palm Beach County Clerk's Office tells CBS 12 that for the third time in under a year, the State Legislature has increased several court-related fees or added new ones. On Monday, June 1, more than two dozen circuit civil, probate or family fees will change. Additional criminal fees will increase on July 1. The increases are part of legislation initiated by Florida judges and sponsored by Rep. Ellyn Bogdanoff and Sen. Ken Pruitt. The state, not the Clerk & Comptroller's office, will receive the additional revenue the fee increases are expected to generate.

The biggest changes pertain to foreclosure cases. Instead of having the same flat filing fee as all other circuit civil cases, foreclosures will now have their own filing fees ranging from $401 to $1,906 depending on the value of the claim.

The general filing fee for all other circuit civil cases increased from $301 to $401. Cross-claim, counterclaim, counterpetition or third-party complaint filing fees, unrelated to foreclosures, increased from $295 to $395. Most probate fees increased by $115, while Unified Family Court fees for adoption and guardianship also increased by at least $100.

The fee increases are part of Senate Bills 2108 and 1718-legislation that also includes drastic cuts to staffing and services of Clerks' offices throughout Florida.

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Court Fees Going Up on Monday