Civil cases: filing fees.

Plain English Breakdown

The bill summary and digest do not provide specific details on how the changes will impact court operations or costs.

Filing Fees for Civil Cases

This bill changes filing fees in civil cases by adjusting the thresholds and amounts for different demand ranges.

What This Bill Does

• Changes the filing fee to $50 for small claims cases where the demand is more than $1,500 but less than or equal to $6,250.
• Sets a filing fee of $75 for small claims cases if the amount demanded is more than $6,250.
• Increases the limit from $10,000 to $12,500 for cases with a uniform filing fee of $205.
• Adjusts the range where additional fees are charged when the demand increases from between $10,000 and $25,000 to between $12,500 and $35,000.

Who It Names or Affects

• People who file small claims cases.
• Courts that handle civil cases with filing fees.

Terms To Know

Filing fee

Money paid to the court when a case is started.

Small claims case

A type of legal case where people can sue for small amounts of money without needing a lawyer.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not specify what happens if the demand exceeds $35,000.
• It is unclear how this change will affect court operations and costs.

Official Summary Text

AB 2781, as amended, Committee on Judiciary.
Civil cases: filing fees.
Existing law requires a filing fee of $50 in a small claims case where the demand is more than $1,500 but less than or equal to $5,000, and a filing fee of $75 if the amount of the demand in a small claims case is more than $5,000.
This bill would instead require a filing fee of $50 for small claims cases with a demand of more than $1,500 but less than or equal to
$7,500,
$6,250,
and a filing fee of $75 for cases if the amount of the demand is more than
$7,500.
$6,250.
Existing law requires a uniform filing fee of $205 for the first paper in a case where the amount demanded, excluding attorney’s fees and costs, is $10,000 or less. Existing law requires the first paper to state whether the amount demanded exceeds or does not exceed $10,000. Existing law also requires a $205 filing fee for a petition for a writ or a notice of appeal to the appellative division of the superior court if the amount demanded in a limited civil case, excluding attorney’s fees and costs, is $10,000 or less.
This bill would revise these provisions to apply to cases where the amount demanded, excluding attorney’s fees and costs, is $12,500 or less.
Existing law requires, if a plaintiff or petitioner files an amended complaint or other initial pleading that increases the amount demanded to an amount that exceeds $10,000 but does not exceed $25,000, a fee equal to the
difference between the original filing fee and the filing fee for the new amount demanded to be charged to make up the difference between the filing fees. Existing law also requires, if a party files a cross-complaint, amended cross-complaint, or amendment to a cross-complaint demanding an amount that exceeds $10,000 but does not exceed $25,000, a fee equal to the difference between the original filing fee and the filing fee for the new amount to be charged to make up the difference between the filing fees.
This bill would revise these provisions to apply to cases where the revised amount demanded exceeds $12,500 but does not exceed $35,000.

Current Bill Text

Download Bill PDF