Court fees

Court fees are the charges paid to the state for judicial services. In claims measurable in money they are proportional to the value of the case, otherwise fixed; the filing fee and the judgment fee are the main items.

The statutory portion of the proportional fee is paid in advance at filing. A case whose fee is unpaid is not processed, and deficiencies emerging during litigation block further steps until completed. Separate from fees, a cost advance covers expenses such as service and experts. At the end of the case, fees and costs are as a rule imposed on the losing party.

Since proportional fees can become prohibitive in high-value disputes, structuring the claim as an indeterminate-amount action or a partial action are tools of fee planning. Legal aid provides those without means a provisional exemption from fees and costs.