How Much Does It Cost to File in the Queensland Supreme Court?
Summary
Court filing fees in Queensland are notoriously hard to pin down. This guide organises every Supreme Court fee by scenario — from filing to verdict — so you can see the total cost in one place.
Key Takeaways
- A company filing a standard debt recovery claim that settles before trial pays $2,250 in court fees. If it goes to a 3-day trial, it's $8,896. A 10-day trial: $28,847.
- Corporations Act proceedings are the most expensive category — a company bringing a 5-day oppression hearing pays $18,591 in court fees alone.
- If any plaintiff is a corporation, the higher corporation fee applies to the entire filing. There is no workaround.
- Individuals may qualify for reduced fees ($149.60 for most items) under financial hardship or concession card provisions.
- Since 1 July 2022, Queensland court fees are calculated in fee units (currently $1.096 per unit). Fees increase on 1 July each year.
- 1.Debt Recovery or Breach of Contract Claim
- 2.Corporations Act or Admiralty Act Application
- 3.Appealing a Decision
- 4.Probate or Letters of Administration
- 5.Issuing a Subpoena
- 6.Enforcing a Judgment
- 7.Other Fees You Might Hit Along the Way
- 8.Can I Get a Reduced Fee?
- 9.How These Fees Are Calculated
- 10.Frequently Asked Questions
Court filing fees in Queensland are notoriously hard to pin down. The official fee schedules are organised by regulation number, not by what you're actually trying to do. This guide fixes that.
Pick your scenario below, and you'll see every court fee from filing to verdict in one place. No cross-referencing, no fee-unit maths. Just the dollar figure.
Fees current as at 1 July 2025. Next scheduled increase: 1 July 2026.
Quick note on corporation fees: If any plaintiff (or applicant or appellant) is a corporation, the higher fee applies to the entire filing. There's no workaround. Both figures are shown below — corporation first, then individual.
Debt Recovery or Breach of Contract Claim
This covers standard commercial claims: debt recovery, breach of contract, misleading conduct, injunctions, recovery of goods and professional negligence. Basically anything that isn't a Corporations Act or Admiralty Act matter.
What you'll pay
To get into court:
| Corporation plaintiff | Individual plaintiff | |
|---|---|---|
| Filing the claim | $2,250.00 | $1,138.00 |
To get a trial date:
| Corporation | Individual | |
|---|---|---|
| Setting down for trial | $3,694.00 | $1,847.00 |
Each day of trial (day 1 is included in setting down):
| Corporation | Individual | |
|---|---|---|
| Days 2 to 4 | $1,476.00 per day | $741.40 per day |
| Days 5 to 9 | $2,661.00 per day | $1,327.00 per day |
| Day 10 onwards | $5,170.00 per day | $2,581.00 per day |
Total court fees by trial length
Here's the full picture. These are cumulative totals — filing fee + setting down + all hearing days.
| Trial length | Corporation plaintiff | Individual plaintiff |
|---|---|---|
| Settles before trial | $2,250.00 | $1,138.00 |
| 1-day trial | $5,944.00 | $2,985.00 |
| 2-day trial | $7,420.00 | $3,726.40 |
| 3-day trial | $8,896.00 | $4,467.80 |
| 5-day trial | $13,033.00 | $6,536.20 |
| 10-day trial | $28,847.00 | $14,425.20 |
The bottom line: A company filing a debt recovery claim that settles before trial pays $2,250 in court fees. If it goes to a 3-day trial, it's $8,896. A 10-day trial: $28,847. And that's before you pay your lawyers.
Corporations Act or Admiralty Act Application
This covers oppression claims, winding up applications, director's duty claims, scheme of arrangement applications and anything else arising under the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth) or the Admiralty Act 1988 (Cth).
What you'll pay
To get into court:
| Corporation plaintiff | Individual plaintiff | |
|---|---|---|
| Filing the claim or application | $3,191.00 | $1,351.00 |
To get a trial date:
| Corporation | Individual | |
|---|---|---|
| Setting down for trial | $5,270.00 | $2,638.00 |
Each day of trial (day 1 is included in setting down):
| Corporation | Individual | |
|---|---|---|
| Days 2 to 4 | $2,112.00 per day | $1,049.00 per day |
| Days 5 to 9 | $3,794.00 per day | $1,748.00 per day |
| Day 10 onwards | $7,490.00 per day | $3,515.00 per day |
Total court fees by trial length
| Trial length | Corporation plaintiff | Individual plaintiff |
|---|---|---|
| Settles before trial | $3,191.00 | $1,351.00 |
| 1-day trial | $8,461.00 | $3,989.00 |
| 2-day trial | $10,573.00 | $5,038.00 |
| 3-day trial | $12,685.00 | $6,087.00 |
| 5-day trial | $18,591.00 | $8,884.00 |
| 10-day trial | $41,257.00 | $19,391.00 |
The bottom line: Corporations Act proceedings are the most expensive category in the Supreme Court. A company bringing a 5-day oppression hearing will pay $18,591 in court fees alone. Push that to 10 days and it's $41,257.
Appealing a Decision
This covers appeals to the Supreme Court from the District Court, Magistrates Court or a tribunal, plus cross-appeals and applications for leave to appeal.
What you'll pay
| Corporation | Individual | |
|---|---|---|
| Filing the appeal | $3,323.00 | $1,660.00 |
Appeals are typically heard on the papers or over 1–2 days. There is a setting down fee if the appeal is set down for hearing, and daily hearing fees apply from day 2 onwards (same rates as the standard proceeding rates above, depending on the subject matter of the original proceeding).
Probate or Letters of Administration
What you'll pay
| Application | Fee |
|---|---|
| Probate or letters of administration | $819.90 |
| Resealing a foreign grant (British Probates Act 1898) | $819.90 |
| Order to administer (Public Trustee Act 1978) | $819.90 |
Probate applications are a flat fee regardless of estate value. There is no corporation uplift for probate.
Issuing a Subpoena
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Issuing a subpoena | $108.20 each |
The $108.20 is the court's issuing fee only. You also need to pay conduct money to each witness for their reasonable travel and attendance costs. Conduct money must be paid or tendered at the time of service (UCPR r 420). The amount varies depending on the witness's location and circumstances but budget at least $50–100 per witness on top of the issuing fee.
Enforcing a Judgment
Enforcement fees are separate from filing and hearing fees. The main one to know about is poundage — the court's percentage cut when an enforcement officer recovers money under a warrant.
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Poundage (court's % on money recovered via enforcement warrant) | 2.5% of amount received (minimum $177.80) |
| Poundage on possession warrant | 2.5% of annual rent or market value (minimum $177.80) |
| Service or enforcement by enforcement officer | $136.10 per person or ship |
| Each additional warrant served at the same time | $24.50 |
| Time after first hour | $10.65 per 15 minutes |
| Travel beyond 8km from registry (one way) | $4.30 per km |
Other Fees You Might Hit Along the Way
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Certified copy of a document or exhibit | $79.95 |
| Filing a document not connected to an existing matter | $132.30 |
| Assessment of costs (registrar) | $131.00 per hour |
| Opening the registry outside business hours | $613.30 |
Can I Get a Reduced Fee?
Yes, in some cases. Regulations 8, 9 and 10 of the Uniform Civil Procedure (Fees) Regulation 2019 provide for reduced fees for holders of concession cards and in cases of financial hardship. The reduced fee for individuals is $149.60 for most items. For corporations, the reduced fee is the standard individual rate.
If your client qualifies, the savings are significant. For example, an individual filing a standard claim pays $1,138 at the normal rate but only $149.60 at the reduced rate.
How These Fees Are Calculated
Since 1 July 2022, Queensland court fees have been calculated in fee units rather than fixed dollar amounts. One fee unit is currently worth $1.096. The dollar figures in this guide are the calculated amounts after applying the fee unit value and the rounding rules under s 48C of the Acts Interpretation Act 1954.
Fees increase on 1 July each year. The 2025–26 fees reflect a 3.4% increase.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to file a claim in the Queensland Supreme Court?
The filing fee for a standard claim (debt recovery, breach of contract) is $2,250 for a corporation plaintiff or $1,138 for an individual plaintiff. Corporations Act matters cost more: $3,191 (corporation) or $1,351 (individual).
Why is my filing fee higher because a company is involved?
If any plaintiff, applicant or appellant is a corporation, the higher corporation fee applies to the entire filing. This is set by regulation and there is no workaround.
How much are daily hearing fees in the Queensland Supreme Court?
Day 1 is included in the setting down fee. From day 2, hearing fees escalate: $1,476 per day (corporation) or $741.40 per day (individual) for days 2–4, increasing to $5,170 or $2,581 per day from day 10 onwards for standard claims.
Can I get a fee waiver or reduction in the Queensland Supreme Court?
Yes. Holders of concession cards and people experiencing financial hardship may qualify for a reduced fee of $149.60 for most items under the Uniform Civil Procedure (Fees) Regulation 2019.
Filing in the Supreme Court? Get a clear estimate of your total court costs before you start. Speak with Astris Law on (07) 3519 5616. See our dispute resolution services.
Written by Jamie Nuich, Legal Practitioner Director of Astris Law
This article is for general information purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. You should seek professional advice tailored to your specific circumstances before acting on any information in this article. Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards Legislation.