Have You Ever Paid for a Court Transcript — and How Much Did It Cost You?

First: a court order, a judgment and a transcript are not the same thing

This distinction causes considerable confusion.

Why can a transcript matter so much in Family Court proceedings?

The sealed order is crucial, but some important matters may exist primarily in the judge’s oral reasons.

Those reasons may explain:

• why one account was accepted or rejected;
• what findings were actually made;
• how the judge approached conflicting evidence;
• how domestic abuse or safeguarding evidence was assessed;
• why a particular welfare decision was reached;
• why a proposed order was considered proportionate; or
• why permission or another application was refused.

That can become particularly important if you are considering an appeal.

An appeal usually concerns whether the decision was wrong or unjust because of a serious procedural or other irregularity. Understanding the judge’s reasons may therefore matter far more than simply knowing the final wording of the order.

The 2026 petition: should court transcripts be free?

In February 2026, a Parliamentary petition called for all court and tribunal transcripts to be made available free of charge.

The petition argued that high transcription costs can create a barrier to justice, particularly where a person needs a record of proceedings in order to consider or pursue an appeal.

It ultimately attracted 204,129 signatures.

Parliament debated the petition on 23 March 2026, and the petition closed on 5 August 2026.

The Government did not agree to make every transcript free.

Its response emphasised:

• the cost of producing full hearing and trial transcripts;
• quality-assurance requirements;
• protection of personal data;
• reporting restrictions;
• the safeguarding of vulnerable people; and
• existing moves towards greater transparency.

It also said the Ministry of Justice was exploring how AI might help produce transcripts more quickly and cost-effectively while maintaining accuracy and safeguarding.

How do you request a Family Court transcript?

The standard form is:

Form EX107 — Request a transcript of court or tribunal proceedings .

The form can be sent by email or post to the relevant court in accordance with the current HMCTS guidance.

You will need information such as:

• the court;
• case number;
• parties;
• hearing date;
• judge;
• the type of transcript required;
• the relevant part of the hearing; and
• the service level requested.

Judicial approval may be required before some transcripts can be released, including transcripts of judgments.

HMCTS’s current guidance also advises consulting the relevant court before seeking a transcript of private or ex parte proceedings.

What about somebody who was not a party?

The rules are different.

HMCTS states that a non-party seeking access to a transcript of a Family Court hearing must first make a formal application for permission.

In the Family Court this ordinarily means a C2 application and the applicable court fee before the EX107 process.

You may not need the whole hearing

HMCTS allows different types of transcript to be requested.

How much does a Family Court transcript cost in 2026?

For civil, family and tribunal proceedings, HMCTS currently publishes maximum standard transcription rates by folio.

One folio is 72 words.

As at the current HMCTS rates:

Any authorised transcription company listed by HMCTS can currently be used for civil, family and tribunal proceedings.

The total therefore depends on:

• how long the hearing was;
• which part you request;
• how quickly you need it;
• which authorised provider you use; and
• whether the transcript has already been produced.

A long multi-day hearing can therefore become expensive very quickly.

What if you cannot afford a court transcript?

This is an important part of the current system that litigants in person should know about.

1. Form EX105: help with transcript costs

GOV.UK says you could receive a free transcript of a civil or Family Court hearing where there are special circumstances if you cannot afford the fee.

The relevant form is:

Form EX105 — Apply for help with court transcript costs .

GOV.UK gives as an example needing the transcript urgently but being unable to afford it.

EX105 is sent with EX107 to the relevant court.

2. Family Court appeals: transcript at public expense

There is also an important appeal-specific provision in Practice Direction 30A .

Under paragraphs 5.33 and 5.34, the lower court or appeal court may certify that the cost of one official transcript should be borne at public expense where:

• the appellant is unrepresented, or has qualifying free representation;
• the appellant’s financial circumstances mean the transcript cost would be an excessive burden; and
• for a transcript of evidence or proceedings, the court is also satisfied there are reasonable grounds for appeal.

PD30A says that where possible, a request should be made to the lower court when asking for permission to appeal.

Do you need a transcript to appeal a Family Court decision?

Often, you need a suitable record of the judgment — but that does not always mean waiting for a full transcript before doing anything.

Practice Direction 30A provides that where an officially recorded judgment exists, an approved transcript should ordinarily accompany the relevant appeal material.

Where there is no officially recorded judgment, other records can be relevant, including:

• a signed written judgment;
• written reasons from lay justices; or
• an appropriate note of judgment.

If you were unrepresented at the original hearing

There is a particularly useful provision in PD30A.

Where there is no officially recorded judgment, and the appellant was unrepresented in the lower court, an advocate acting for the respondent is required in the circumstances specified by PD30A to make their advocate’s note of judgment promptly available to the appellant free of charge.

That can be extremely important where a formal transcript is unavailable or delayed.

Do not miss the appeal deadline waiting for a transcript

PD30A expressly recognises that an appellant may not be able to obtain an official transcript or suitable record before the appellant’s notice must be filed.

In that situation, the appeal documentation should still be completed as far as possible using the material available, with missing documents identified and supplied as soon as reasonably practicable.

In other words:

Do not assume that you can wait for the transcript and then start thinking about the appeal.

Appeal deadlines are short and depend on the decision and any direction made by the lower court. Check the sealed order and current Part 30 / PD30A position immediately.

Do you need a transcript of all the evidence?

Not necessarily.

PD30A says transcripts or notes of evidence are generally not needed merely to determine an application for permission to appeal.

Where evidence is actually relevant to the substantive appeal, the relevant official transcript may need to be obtained.

That distinction can make a significant difference to cost.

What if the other side drafted the court order?

In Family Court proceedings, the judge may direct a legal representative to prepare the draft order following the hearing.

That does not make the draft order that party’s opportunity to rewrite the judge’s decision.

The final order should accurately record what the court ordered.

When a draft is circulated, check:

• the parties and case number;
• the hearing date;
• the orders actually made;
• deadlines;
• who must carry out each direction;
• recitals that materially affect the meaning of the order; and
• whether anything has been included that the judge did not direct.

If you disagree with the wording, raise the precise point promptly and calmly.

What if important reasons appear to be missing from the judgment?

A missing or inadequate reason can potentially matter on appeal, but there is a specific procedural point to understand.

Practice Direction 30A provides a mechanism for a material omission in the lower court’s judgment to be put back before the lower court for consideration.

The purpose is to give the judge an opportunity to consider whether there really is an omission and, where appropriate, provide additions to the judgment.

That means it is unsafe to assume:

“The judge didn’t mention this, therefore I automatically have a successful ground of appeal.”

The appeal process looks at the judgment as a whole and contains procedures for addressing genuinely missing reasons.

Family Court transparency is increasing — but that is not the same as getting a transcript

The Family Court has become more transparent following reforms allowing accredited journalists and legal bloggers to report from more children proceedings under Transparency Orders.

That is an important development in public accountability.

But a Transparency Order does not mean:

• the parties automatically receive a free transcript;
• all Family Court documents become public;
• a parent can publish the proceedings freely; or
• the identity of children can be revealed.

Reporting and transcript access are separate issues.

Family proceedings remain subject to important privacy, reporting and communication restrictions.

Could AI make court transcripts cheaper?

The Government’s March 2026 response to the Parliamentary petition expressly referred to exploring the opportunities offered by AI to produce court and tribunal transcripts more quickly and cost-effectively.

The potential is obvious.

• Automated speech recognition can reduce first-stage transcription time.
• Digital workflows could reduce administrative delay.
• Searchable transcripts could make lengthy proceedings easier to navigate.

But the Family Court also illustrates why automation alone is not enough.

A transcript may contain:

• children’s information;
• medical evidence;
• domestic-abuse evidence;
• names subject to reporting restrictions;
• unclear or overlapping speech;
• legal terminology; and
• findings whose exact wording may matter greatly.

So the Government’s statement should currently be understood as exploration of a possible future approach — not as an operational right to AI-generated free Family Court transcripts.

Before ordering a transcript: practical checklist