Cost of getting married set to rise

Press, 21 April 1986, Page 15

Cost of getting married set to rise

PA Wellington The costs of getting married, or applying for a design or trade mark, will rise from May 1, said the Minister of Justice, Mr Palmer.

Announcing service fee increases in the Births, Deaths and Marriages and the Patent Office Divisions of the Justice Department, Mr Palmer said they were necessary to offset the higher cost of providing those services.

“Fees under the Births and Deaths Regulations and Marriage Acts were last increased in June, 1982,” he said.

“The costs of providing those services had increased markedly since then and in line with present policy these costs should, as far as practicable, be covered.” A marriage licence fee will increase from $2O to

$3O, a complete birth certificate or certificate of death from $7 to $lO, and abridged certificates of birth or death will rise from $3 to $6.

There was no charge for the registration of births and deaths, Mr Palmer said.

Design and trade mark fees would rise, on average, about 20 per cent and were aimed at allowing for adequate staff to cope with a big backlog of design and trade mark examinations.

“They are also needed to continue with the 1983 decision to make the Patent Office a self-funding organisation,” he said.

The new scales of fees were expected to generate additional revenue for the Births, Deaths and Marriages Divison of $1 million and $500,000 for the Patent Office in a full financial year.