Where fees come from
Expect a fee to purchase the index number, a fee for a request for judicial intervention when a case is assigned to a judge, fees for motions in some courts, and a fee to file the note of issue. Small Claims and Commercial Claims have their own, much lower schedules. Because amounts are set by statute and periodically revised, always verify the current figure rather than relying on an older filing.
Costs the court does not charge
Process servers, court reporters and deposition transcripts, expert witnesses, record retrieval, and travel are paid to third parties. In many cases these exceed the court fees several times over. Budget for them at the outset — running out of money mid-discovery is a strategic disaster.
Applying to proceed as a poor person
An application supported by an affidavit describing income, assets, expenses and the merits of the claim can result in waived fees. Receipt of public assistance or representation by a legal services organization can support the application. Filing the application at the start of the case is far cleaner than seeking retroactive relief after fees have accrued.
Recovering costs from the other side
A prevailing party can often tax statutory costs and disbursements. That recovery is modest and rarely covers actual expense. Attorney's fees are recoverable only where a contract or statute provides for them — which is exactly why contract fee-shifting clauses deserve attention long before a dispute begins.