I’m involved in a Supreme Court case and can’t afford the court fees. What can I do?

Last reviewed October 2024 by the Clicklaw editors

If you can’t afford to pay fees in the Supreme Court, you can apply to the court for an “Order to Waive Fees.” This order allows you to file court documents and go to hearings without paying court-filing fees.

You’ll have to prove that you’re receiving income assistance (welfare) or give information about your income and assets as well as your employment, education, and workplace skills. This would show that you don’t have much chance of earning enough in the future to pay court fees.

Helpful resources

  • Get an Order to Waive Fees (Family Law in BC (Justice Education Society)): The step-by-step guide is written for those involved in family law matters in BC Supreme Court, but the basic information can apply to other types of matters.
  • Online Help Guide (Supreme Court BC (Justice Education Society)): This guide has a section on “Forms, Filing and Fees,” which briefly explains what to do if you’re involved in a civil litigation and can’t afford the fees. It includes links to the forms.
  • Applications to Waive Fees (PDF) (Supreme Court of British Columbia): This package compiles what the rules say about waiving fees for civil and family matters and shows what the forms look like. It includes a link to individual fillable forms.

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