Queensland Supreme Court Filing Fees: How Much It Costs
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 $2,326 in court fees. If it goes to a 3-day trial, it's $9,196. A 10-day trial: $29,827.
- Corporations Act proceedings are the most expensive category: a company bringing a 5-day oppression hearing pays $19,220 in court fees alone.
- If any plaintiff is a corporation, the higher corporation fee applies to the entire filing. There is no workaround.
- The Supreme Court filing fee for probate is a flat $847.60 regardless of estate value, plus $161.70 to publish the required notice in the Queensland Law Reporter.
- Individuals may qualify for reduced fees ($154.70 for most items) under financial hardship or concession card provisions.
- Since 1 July 2022, Queensland court fees are calculated in fee units (currently $1.133 per unit). Fees increase on 1 July each year.
- 1.What Is a Filing Fee?
- 2.Debt Recovery or Breach of Contract Claim
- 3.Corporations Act or Admiralty Act Application
- 4.Appealing a Decision
- 5.Probate or Letters of Administration
- 6.Issuing a Subpoena
- 7.Enforcing a Judgment
- 8.Other Fees You Might Hit Along the Way
- 9.Can I Get a Reduced Fee?
- 10.How These Fees Are Calculated
- 11.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. Court fees are only part of the picture; for legal fees and strategy, see our Brisbane commercial litigation lawyer guide.
Fees current as at 1 July 2026 for the 2026–27 financial year. Next scheduled increase: 1 July 2027.
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.
What Is a Filing Fee?
A filing fee is the amount the court charges to accept a document into its registry. It is a court charge, not a legal fee. You pay it whether or not you have a lawyer, and it is separate from anything you pay your solicitor or barrister.
Filing fees are payable when the document is lodged. The registry will not accept an originating process without payment unless a fee reduction has been approved. In the Supreme Court of Queensland, the filing fee is only the entry price. Setting down fees, daily hearing fees and enforcement fees follow at later stages of the proceeding. That is why this guide shows cumulative totals, not just the first invoice.
The successful party can usually recover filing fees from the other side as part of a costs order. Until then, the party who files pays.
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 | $2,326.00 | $1,176.00 |
To get a trial date:
| Corporation | Individual | |
|---|---|---|
| Setting down for trial | $3,818.00 | $1,909.00 |
Each day of trial (day 1 is included in setting down):
| Corporation | Individual | |
|---|---|---|
| Days 2 to 4 | $1,526.00 per day | $766.50 per day |
| Days 5 to 9 | $2,751.00 per day | $1,372.00 per day |
| Day 10 onwards | $5,350.00 per day | $2,668.00 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 | $2,326.00 | $1,176.00 |
| 1-day trial | $6,144.00 | $3,085.00 |
| 2-day trial | $7,670.00 | $3,851.50 |
| 3-day trial | $9,196.00 | $4,618.00 |
| 5-day trial | $13,473.00 | $6,756.50 |
| 10-day trial | $29,827.00 | $14,912.50 |
In real terms: A company filing a debt recovery claim that settles before trial pays $2,326 in court fees. If it goes to a 3-day trial, it's $9,196. A 10-day trial: $29,827. And that's before you pay your lawyers. For modest claims, compare QCAT vs Supreme Court costs before filing; tribunal fees are a fraction of these figures.
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 | $3,299.00 | $1,397.00 |
To get a trial date:
| Corporation | Individual | |
|---|---|---|
| Setting down for trial | $5,450.00 | $2,727.00 |
Each day of trial (day 1 is included in setting down):
| Corporation | Individual | |
|---|---|---|
| Days 2 to 4 | $2,183.00 per day | $1,084.00 per day |
| Days 5 to 9 | $3,922.00 per day | $1,807.00 per day |
| Day 10 onwards | $7,740.00 per day | $3,634.00 per day |
Total court fees by trial length
| Trial length | Corporation plaintiff | Individual plaintiff |
|---|---|---|
| Settles before trial | $3,299.00 | $1,397.00 |
| 1-day trial | $8,749.00 | $4,124.00 |
| 2-day trial | $10,932.00 | $5,208.00 |
| 3-day trial | $13,115.00 | $6,292.00 |
| 5-day trial | $19,220.00 | $9,183.00 |
| 10-day trial | $42,648.00 | $20,045.00 |
In short: Corporations Act proceedings are the most expensive category in the Supreme Court. A company bringing a 5-day oppression hearing will pay $19,220 in court fees alone. Push that to 10 days and it's $42,648.
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 | $3,435.00 | $1,716.00 |
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
Supreme Court filing fee for probate
The Supreme Court filing fee for probate in Queensland is $847.60 for the 2026–27 financial year. The same fee applies whether you are applying for probate, letters of administration, a reseal of a foreign grant or an order to administer.
| Application | Fee |
|---|---|
| Probate or letters of administration | $847.60 |
| Resealing a foreign grant (British Probates Act 1898) | $847.60 |
| Order to administer (Public Trustee Act 1978) | $847.60 |
The fee is flat. It does not scale with the value of the estate. A one-account estate and a multi-property estate pay the same $847.60. There is also no corporation uplift for probate; the fee is the same whoever applies.
The advertising fee most guides miss
The filing fee is not the only court-related cost. Before filing, the applicant must publish a notice of intention to apply for the grant in the Queensland Law Reporter, the online publication approved under rule 599(2) of the Uniform Civil Procedure Rules 1999. The current QLR advertising fee is $161.70 including GST per notice. The application cannot be filed until 14 days after the notice is published, so build the timing into your plans.
The notice requirement now sits in the Trusts Act 2025 (Qld), which replaced the Trusts Act 1973 from 28 April 2026. Creditors and claimants have 6 weeks from publication to give notice of their claims. For what else changed under the new Act, see our guide to the Trusts Act 2025 (Qld).
Reduced probate filing fee
Concession card holders and applicants in financial hardship can apply to the registry for a reduced filing fee of $154.70 instead of $847.60. On smaller estates that reduction is worth having.
Total upfront cost
For most applicants, the court-related outlay is $1,009.30: the $847.60 filing fee plus the $161.70 QLR notice. Probate costs, including these fees, are ordinarily recoverable from the estate once the grant issues.
Issuing a Subpoena
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Issuing a subpoena | $111.80 each |
The $111.80 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 $183.80) |
| Poundage on possession warrant | 2.5% of annual rent or market value (minimum $183.80) |
| Service or enforcement by enforcement officer | $141.70 per person or ship |
| Each additional warrant served at the same time | $25.50 |
| Time after first hour | $11.10 per 15 minutes |
| Travel beyond 8km from registry (one way) | $4.50 per km |
Other Fees You Might Hit Along the Way
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Certified copy of a document or exhibit | $82.65 |
| Filing a document not connected to an existing matter | $136.80 |
| Assessment of costs (registrar) | $135.40 per hour |
| Opening the registry outside business hours | $634.00 |
Costs orders are their own topic: who pays, on what basis and for which stages of the proceeding. Our analysis of the tiered orders in Lavercombe shows what costs orders cost in QLD proceedings in practice.
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 $154.70 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 $1,176 at the normal rate but only $154.70 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 $1.133. 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 2026–27 fees reflect a 3.4% increase in line with the Queensland Government's indexation policy. One exception: service and enforcement fees are no longer calculated by fee units, so the same service costs the same amount regardless of jurisdiction.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a filing fee?
A filing fee is the charge a court imposes to lodge a document in its registry. It is payable to the court, not to a lawyer, and it applies whether or not you are legally represented. In the Supreme Court of Queensland, filing fees are set under the Uniform Civil Procedure (Fees) Regulation 2019 and increase on 1 July each year.
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 $2,326 for a corporation plaintiff or $1,176 for an individual plaintiff. Corporations Act matters cost more: $3,299 (corporation) or $1,397 (individual).
What is the Supreme Court filing fee for probate in Queensland?
The Supreme Court filing fee for probate is $847.60 for the 2026–27 financial year, flat for all estates regardless of value. Add $161.70 to publish the required notice in the Queensland Law Reporter and the total court-related outlay is $1,009.30. Eligible applicants pay a reduced filing fee of $154.70.
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: $1,526 per day (corporation) or $766.50 per day (individual) for days 2-4, increasing to $5,350 or $2,668 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 $154.70 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.
Update log
- Added a plain-English explanation of filing fees, expanded the probate fee section and clarified how the annual 1 July indexation works.
- Every fee updated to the 2026-27 schedule following the 1 July 2026 indexation (fee unit $1.133, a 3.4% increase), and the probate section expanded with the Queensland Law Reporter advertising fee.
This article is for general information purposes only and does not constitute legal advice and should not be relied on as such. While we take reasonable care to ensure the accuracy of the information provided, we make no representations or warranties as to its completeness, currency or reliability. We accept no liability for any loss or damage arising directly or indirectly from the use of, or reliance on, this website's content. You should always 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.
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