EX105 form: ask for an appeal transcript to be paid at public expense
Form EX105 asks the court to certify that the cost of an official transcript for an appeal is paid at public expense. It asks about the transcript you need and your finances.
Fill in the EX105 form with Wren
How Wren helps with the EX105
Official forms are written for lawyers. With Wren you do not have to decode this one on your own, and you still follow the court’s procedure.
- Plain questions, one at a timeEach part of the EX105 becomes short questions in everyday words. Answer at your own pace and come back to it.
- Help beside each questionWhat the question is asking and what the official guidance says about it, in plain English.
- The official form, filled inYour answers go into the official EX105. You check it, sign it and send it yourself. Nothing goes to the court for you.
- What comes next, kept with your caseWhat usually happens after you send it, with the dates worked out from the published rules.
Time and money
- On your own
- A day or more
- With Wren
- About an hour for most forms
- Solicitor for this form
- £740 to £1,2403 to 5 hours
A solicitor’s time for the EX105 can run to £1,240. With Wren it is part of £19.99 a month, and it takes about an hour for most forms rather than a day or more.
Times and hours are Wren’s estimates for a typical case, not quotes. Solicitor costs are those hours at £247 an hour, the courts’ guideline rate for a solicitor with over four years’ experience, outside London (GOV.UK, Solicitors' guideline hourly rates (in effect from 1 January 2026)). The guideline runs from £200 to £295 an hour outside London depending on experience, firms set their own rates, and VAT is added on top.
Key facts
- Official title
- Apply for help with court transcript costs: Form EX105
- Edition
- 08.23 (5 pages).Source: official page (external source, opens in a new tab)
- Who can be helped
- The court may certify public expense where an unrepresented appellant, or one whose representation is free, is in such poor financial circumstances that the cost would be an excessive burden (PD30A para 5.33).Source: official page (external source, opens in a new tab)
- Grounds
- For a transcript of evidence or of the whole proceedings the court must also be satisfied there are reasonable grounds for appeal (PD30A para 5.34).Source: official page (external source, opens in a new tab)
- What to send
- The completed form goes to the court with a copy of your appeal notice, with documentary proof of your finances wherever possible.Source: official page (external source, opens in a new tab)
- The form's reference
- The form itself cites CPR 52.14, the civil rule; for family appeals the rules are FPR Part 30 and PD30A.Source: official page (external source, opens in a new tab)
Who uses the EX105
An appellant without a lawyer, or whose lawyer acts free of charge, who cannot afford the transcript (PD30A para 5.33).
When it is used
When you are appealing or intend to appeal. Whenever possible the request is made to the lower court when asking for permission to appeal (PD30A para 5.34).
Before you start
- Your appeal notice, or the order you intend to appeal.
- Any estimate from a transcription company.
- Evidence of your income, savings and outgoings, such as payslips and bank statements.
How to fill in the EX105
Open each part for what it asks and how to answer it. In Wren, each part is a few plain questions, and your answers fill in the form.
Page 1: the case
The case or appeal number, the order and judge, which part of the proceedings you want transcribed and why, and any estimate.
Pages 2 to 4: you and your finances
Your details, dependants, employment and home, then your savings, income, expenses and debts.
Page 5: declaration
You sign and date the declaration. The court completes the box for its decision.
Prepare your EX105 with Wren Family
Wren Family turns official forms into short, plain-English questions you can answer at your own pace. You check everything before you send it: nothing goes to the court for you.
Get startedFree for 14 days, no card. Then £19.99 a month, with your money back within 14 days if it’s not right.
What happens after you send it
The court decides whether to certify public expense and on what terms. The transcript itself is then ordered on form EX107.
Common mistakes
- Not sending evidence of your finances, which may delay the request.
- Asking for the evidence or the whole proceedings without saying why the judgment alone is not enough.
- Not sending a copy of the appeal notice.
Common questions
Do I still need EX107?
Yes. EX105 asks for the cost to be paid at public expense; EX107 is the order for the transcript.
Is there a fee?
There is no fee for this request.
Where these facts come from
These are the official rules and pages this page is based on. They are listed so you can check a detail for yourself; you do not need them to use Wren. They are outside Wren and open in a new tab.