Legal · court fees
Court fee for a money suit
Filing a civil suit to recover money? The court fee is a share of the amount you claim, set by each state’s Court Fees Act. Pick the state and the amount.
Last updated: Reviewed by IndiaDigital editorsSources
Maharashtra Court-fees Act, 1959, Schedule I Article 1
How: ₹1 lakh to ₹11 lakh: ₹6,430 + ₹200 for every ₹10 thousand or part above ₹1 lakh
- Maximum ₹3 lakh. A 2017 amendment raising it to ₹10 lakh was published in 2018 but had not come into force as of the official 2024 text; no start notification was found.
Fee on ₹5 lakh in other states
* not confirmed from an official source.
How it works
- Uses Schedule I, Article 1 (plaint in a suit for money) of each state’s Court Fees Act, band by band, with any minimum and maximum.
- Steps like “₹100 for every ₹5,000 or part” are rounded up as the schedule says.
- Where we could not confirm the schedule from an official source, the state is marked; for West Bengal and Punjab we show no figure.
- Consumer cases are separate: no fee up to ₹5 lakh on e-Jagriti. Cheque bounce, family and writ fees are different too.
Questions people ask
Is there a cheaper way than a civil suit?
For money owed by a business or person, try a legal notice first, then Lok Adalat or mediation (fees are refunded when a case settles there in most states). Consumer complaints and MSME delayed payment claims have their own low-cost forums.
Who pays the court fee in the end?
You pay it when filing. If you win, the court can order the other side to pay your costs, including the court fee.
Sources
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