Filing fee
Updated 2026-09-29
A filing fee is the amount paid to the court when a document, such as the cause papers that start a lawsuit or an application for a court order, is formally lodged. It is separate from any lawyer’s professional fee.
The amount charged depends on the type of document, the court involved, and sometimes the amount being claimed, following a scale set by court rules rather than an amount any lawyer sets themselves.
Filing fees are usually a relatively small part of the overall cost of a civil claim compared to legal fees and other disbursements, but they are required before the court will accept and process a filing.
When it matters
Filing fees apply at each stage a document is lodged, not just once, so they can add up across a longer case.
Read next
APK scam: what to do right now
If you installed an app from a link and your phone or banking now looks wrong, here is what to do in the next few minutes to limit the damage.
Read thisBusiness email compromise: what to do
A supplier or director email asked you to pay a changed bank account. Here is how business email compromise works and the fastest response.
Read thisCrypto scam: what you can do
If a crypto exchange or wallet blocks your withdrawal after you met the operator on a chat app, here is how to trace what happened and what to do next.
Read thisWhat to do right after a scam
If you just realised you sent money to a scam, here is the order of first actions: stop paying, call your bank, call 997, and report it.
Read this