When you become involved in a court case, costs come with it. These costs are often difficult to estimate in advance. From lawyer's fees and the cost of a mediator or bailiff to the cost of experts, witnesses and interpreters: the financial impact of a court case can be considerable. If you win the case, the court may decide that the other party must pay (part of) your costs. This offers some financial relief, but be aware: if the other party does not have sufficient financial means, you may still be left with costs. In addition, legal expenses insurance may cover part of the costs, depending on the terms and conditions and cover of your policy. This page describes the situation in the Netherlands.
Court fee (griffierecht)
When starting proceedings before the district court (rechtbank), you have to pay court fees. The amount of the court fees depends on a number of factors, including your income, the case itself and whether you are a private individual or a legal entity. People on a low income pay the lower court fee for people of limited means, on presentation of a legal aid certificate (toevoeging) or an income statement from the Legal Aid Board (Raad voor Rechtsbijstand) (Article 16 of the Civil Court Fees Act (Wet griffierechten burgerlijke zaken)).
Court fee for the subdistrict court judge (kantonrechter) 2026
In a subdistrict court case, the claimant or applicant, that is the person who starts the proceedings, has to pay the court fee. The defendant or respondent does not have to pay a court fee. The court fee rate depends on the claim, on whether you are a natural person or a legal entity, and on whether or not you are of limited means. The court fees for the subdistrict court judge below apply for 2026 (Civil Court Fees Act, amounts from 1 January 2026 according to Government Gazette 2025, 39855).
| Type of case | Limited means | Natural person | Legal entity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Claim or application of indeterminate value or ≤ €500 | €93 | €93 | €139 |
| Claim or application with a value of > €500 and ≤ €1,500 | €93 | €233 | €350 |
| Claim or application with a value of > €1,500 and ≤ €2,500 | €93 | €265 | €397 |
| Claim or application with a value of > €2,500 and ≤ €5,000 | €93 | €265 | €529 |
| Claim or application with a value of > €5,000 and ≤ €12,500 | €93 | €265 | €559 |
| Claim or application with a value of > €12,500 | €93 | €753 | €1,504 |
| Deeds (aktes) | €165 | €165 | €165 |
| Notice of objection under the Mulder Act (Wet Mulder) | €93 | €93 | €139 |
Court fee for civil law 2026
Civil law is a collective term for various types of cases, including interim injunction proceedings (kort geding) (not before the subdistrict court judge), family cases, insolvency cases and commercial cases. Unlike cases before the subdistrict court judge, both parties have to pay a court fee in civil cases. As with cases before the subdistrict court judge, legal entities pay more and people of limited means pay less. The amounts below apply for 2026 (Civil Court Fees Act, amounts from 1 January 2026 according to Government Gazette 2025, 39855). Bear in mind that adjusted rates apply to some cases, for example for registering or amending a prenuptial agreement.
| Type of case | Limited means | Natural person | Legal entity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Case of indeterminate value | €93 | €341 | €735 |
| Case with a claim or application of ≤ €100,000 | €93 | €1,414 | €3,083 |
| Case with a claim or application of > €100,000 and ≤ €1,000,000 | €93 | €2,803 | €7,062 |
| Cases with a claim or application of > €1,000,000 | €93 | €2,803 | €10,487 |
| Deeds (aktes) | €165 | €165 | €165 |
| Legalisation | €27 | €27 | €27 |
Court fee for administrative law 2026
The court fee payable depends on the type of person (natural person or legal entity) and on whether it is an administrative case or a tax case. A reduced rate applies to some subjects. This is set out in the reduced court fee scheme (regeling verlaagd griffierecht). The amounts apply for 2026 (Article 8:41 of the General Administrative Law Act (Algemene wet bestuursrecht, Awb), amounts from 1 January 2026 according to Government Gazette (Staatscourant) 2025, 39855).
| Type of administrative case | Natural person | Legal entity |
|---|---|---|
| Cases other than tax cases | €54 (reduced court fee) or €200 | €397 |
| Tax cases | €54 (reduced court fee) or €200 | €397 |
Court fee for the court of appeal (gerechtshof) 2026
If the case concerns administrative law, only the party that starts the proceedings has to pay a court fee. If, however, it is a civil case, both parties have to pay a court fee. In general, legal entities pay more and lower rates apply to people of limited means. The court fee must be paid within four weeks. The amounts below apply to civil cases in 2026 (Civil Court Fees Act, amounts from 1 January 2026 according to Government Gazette 2025, 39855).
| Amount of the claim or application | Limited means | Natural person | Legal entity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indeterminate value | €373 | €373 | €851 |
| ≤ €12,500 | €373 | €373 | €851 |
| > €12,500 and ≤ €100,000 | €373 | €851 | €2,321 |
| > €100,000 and ≤ €1,000,000 | €373 | €2,192 | €7,003 |
| > €1,000,000 | €373 | €2,192 | €14,007 |
Court fee for the CRvB 2026
In a case before the Central Appeals Tribunal (Centrale Raad van Beroep, CRvB), the party that lodged the appeal (or further appeal) has to pay the court fees. Under certain circumstances, it is possible to obtain an exemption from court fees. However, strict conditions apply to this. The exemption can be requested straight away in the notice of appeal or after the invoice or reminder for the court fee has been received. The court fee rates for the CRvB are shown below (2026) (Articles 8:41 and 8:109 Awb, amounts from 1 January 2026 according to Government Gazette 2025, 39855).
| Type of case | Appeal cases | Further appeal cases |
|---|---|---|
| Benefits | €54 | €147 |
| Civil servants | €200 | €297 |
| Conscripts | €54 | €147 |
| Invalidity pensions | €54 | €147 |
| All other administrative law cases | €200 | €297 |
| Appeal for legal entities | €397 | €596 |
Court fee for the CBb 2026
Different court fees apply to proceedings before the Trade and Industry Appeals Tribunal (College van Beroep voor het bedrijfsleven, CBb). The rate depends on the type of case (appeal case or further appeal case) and the type of person (natural persons or legal entities). The court fees for the CBb in 2026 are shown below (Articles 8:41 and 8:109 Awb, amounts from 1 January 2026 according to Government Gazette 2025, 39855).
| Type of case | Natural person | Legal entity |
|---|---|---|
| Appeal case | €200 | €397 |
| Further appeal case | €297 | €596 |
Court fee for the Council of State (Raad van State) 2026
When lodging an appeal or further appeal with the Council of State, the party that lodged the appeal (or further appeal) has to pay the court fees. A legal entity pays more than a natural person. The rates below apply for 2026 (Articles 8:41 and 8:109 Awb, amounts from 1 January 2026 according to Government Gazette 2025, 39855). Under certain conditions, you can claim inability to pay, but in practice the strict conditions that apply to this are not easily met.
| Type of case | Natural person | Legal entity |
|---|---|---|
| Appeal case | €200 | €397 |
| Further appeal case | €297 | €596 |
Court fee for the Supreme Court of the Netherlands (Hoge Raad der Nederlanden) 2026 (cassation and review)
Court fees also have to be paid when lodging an appeal in cassation or an application for review with the Supreme Court. It is the party lodging the appeal in cassation or the application for review that has to pay this. Do note that in civil cases the respondent also has to pay court fees. Adjusted rates apply to tax cases. The amounts for civil cases apply for 2026 (Civil Court Fees Act, amounts from 1 January 2026 according to Government Gazette 2025, 39855).
| Type of case | Amount of the claim or application | Limited means | Natural person | Legal entity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Civil case | Indeterminate value | €386 | €386 | €932 |
| Civil case | ≤ €12,500 | €386 | €386 | €932 |
| Civil case | > €12,500 and ≤ €100,000 | €386 | €932 | €3,092 |
| Civil case | > €100,000 and ≤ €1,000,000 | €386 | €2,629 | €8,758 |
| Civil case | > €1,000,000 | €386 | €2,629 | €17,515 |
| Tax cases | Appeal in cassation for dividend tax, VAT, tax on passenger cars and motorcycles, excise duty, consumption tax on non-alcoholic beverages, environmental taxes or the Customs Act | N/A | €297 | €596 |
| Tax cases | Other appeal in cassation | N/A | €147 | €596 |
Lawyer's fees
A lawyer easily costs between €200 and €300 per hour. Pay close attention to VAT (BTW): the rate quoted may exclude VAT, in which case 21% is added on top. Office costs may also be charged, and a surcharge may apply in an urgent matter. When you are faced with a court case, it is often useful to engage a lawyer. Sometimes this is even compulsory. Whether you are required to engage a lawyer depends on the type of court case, the amount involved in the case and the court that hears the case. For criminal and administrative proceedings, having a lawyer is not compulsory, but given the complexity and the possible consequences of these proceedings, professional legal support is advisable.
If you are not eligible for subsidised legal aid, you have to pay the lawyer yourself. You are allowed to agree a fixed price with the lawyer, but no-cure-no-pay arrangements are prohibited. You can also negotiate with the lawyer. Most lawyers work with hourly rates. Sometimes extra costs are also charged, such as travel costs, file costs and office costs. Every lawyer or law firm applies its own rates and way of charging these costs, so it is important to get clarity in advance about the expected total cost.
Other costs of a court case
In addition to the court fees and the lawyer's fees, you may face a number of other costs, for example for engaging mediators, experts and witnesses. This depends on the needs of the case. Like lawyers, mediators set their own rates. For bailiffs, the rates for their official acts are laid down by law.
Mediator
Mediation can be an alternative or a supplement to the court case and offers the opportunity to settle disputes outside the courtroom. Mediators charge varying hourly rates, depending on their experience and specialisation. The cost of mediation depends on the complexity of the dispute and the number of sessions needed to reach an agreement.
Bailiff (gerechtsdeurwaarder)
A bailiff is responsible for carrying out legal formalities, such as serving writs of summons and making attachments (seizures). The costs of these services are laid down by law and can be found on the website of the KBvG (Royal Professional Organisation of Judicial Officers, Koninklijke Beroepsorganisatie van Gerechtsdeurwaarders).
Experts
Experts can be engaged to provide specialist knowledge or to carry out investigations relevant to the case. Experts can claim the costs they have to incur to attend the hearing. It is the party that engages the expert that has to pay the expert's costs.
Witnesses
Witnesses who are summoned to appear before the court are entitled to compensation for their time and travel costs. In principle, these costs are paid by the party that called the witness.
Interpreter
In court cases where language barriers play a role, it may be necessary to engage an interpreter. This may be an interpreter for spoken language or an interpreter for sign language. Depending on the case, you either have to arrange and pay for an interpreter yourself or this is done for you. In criminal cases, for example, the court arranges an interpreter for spoken language and the court will pay the interpreter.
Costs after the court case
After a court case, you may be faced with extra costs, on top of the expenses already incurred for lawyers, mediators and court costs. These extra costs may result from the court's judgment. They include, among other things, damages and orders to pay costs.
Reimbursement of costs and orders to pay costs
In civil cases, the court can order the party that loses the case to reimburse the other party's legal costs in part or in full. This includes not only the court fees, but may also include (part of) the other legal costs. If the case concerns a dispute with a government body and the citizen is proved right, that body must in principle reimburse the legal costs.
Damages
A court can also decide that compensation must be paid to the injured party. This may be compensation for material damage, such as loss of income or medical costs. It may also concern non-material damage, such as pain and grief. The compensation is intended to compensate the victim financially for the loss and damage. Statutory interest must also be taken into account here.
Insurance and the cost of a court case
Legal expenses insurance offers financial support in legal disputes. It does so by providing cover for the costs associated with legal assistance and the costs of proceedings. When you call on your legal expenses insurance, however, it is important to take into account the excess that may apply. This excess is the amount you have to pay yourself before the insurance covers any costs. In addition, legal expenses insurance policies often have maximum cover amounts, which means there is an upper limit to the amount the insurance pays out for legal assistance in specific cases or over a certain term of the policy. If you are required to pay damages, you may be able to call on personal liability insurance (AVP) that covers this. Your insurer can inform you about this.
Read also: Administrative proceedings and Complaint about a lawyer.
Frequently asked questions about the cost of a court case
Starting a court case often raises many financial questions. How much will it cost? Will these costs be reimbursed if I win? And what if I lose? It is understandable that these questions cause uncertainty. Below you will find the answers to some frequently asked questions about the cost of a court case. These questions and answers will help you get a better picture of the possible financial implications.
What does a lawyer cost?
The cost of a lawyer can vary greatly. Some lawyers work with a fixed fee for the whole case, while other lawyers charge an hourly rate. In addition, there may be extra costs for drawing up documents, necessary travel and so on.
What does a lawyer cost per hour?
Lawyers charge hourly rates ranging from around €150 to more than €500 per hour. This depends on the lawyer's experience and the complexity of the case. The average lawyer costs between €200 and €300 per hour. For many cases, you do not need an expensive, specialised lawyer.
What does a court case cost?
The total cost of a court case depends on many factors, including lawyer's fees, court fees (the costs of starting a court case) and possibly costs for experts or witnesses. A good lawyer can give you an idea in advance of the chances of success and the possible costs of the court case.
What does a court case cost if you lose?
If you lose the court case, in addition to your own costs you may also be ordered to pay (part of) the other party's legal costs. A good lawyer will be able to give you an estimate in advance of what it will cost you if you were to lose the court case.
What does a family law lawyer cost?
The cost of a lawyer who specialises in family law varies and depends on the complexity of the case and the experience of the lawyer. Some lawyers offer package prices for divorce proceedings or other proceedings, while other lawyers always work with hourly rates. Ask the family law lawyer for an estimate of the costs during the intake interview.
What does a court case before the subdistrict court judge cost?
Before the subdistrict court judge, the court fees are lower than for other court cases. You do not need a lawyer here, which can keep costs down. However, it can be a good idea to engage a lawyer anyway. This lawyer can also inform you about the costs you can expect.
Who pays the costs in a court case?
In principle, each party pays its own costs, but the court can decide that the losing party must reimburse the winning party's legal costs. Sometimes both parties have to pay a court fee, sometimes only the party that starts the proceedings has to pay the court fees.
Who pays the lawyer's fees in a dismissal?
In principle, each party pays its own lawyer's fees. Sometimes the judgment may determine that the employer must pay the costs of the employee's lawyer. This can also be agreed when drawing up a settlement agreement (vaststellingsovereenkomst).
When do you get lawyer's fees back?
You get lawyer's fees back if the court decides that the other party must reimburse these costs. However, this is not guaranteed.
Which insurance covers lawyer's fees?
Legal expenses insurance can cover lawyer's fees, depending on the policy terms and conditions and the nature of the case. It is important to check the cover of your policy before you start a court case.