Tool · Court fees
China court fee calculator for family and inheritance cases
Choose the kind of case and enter the amount in dispute. You get the court's filing fee, the fee to freeze the other side's assets and the fee to enforce a judgment, worked out under China's national rules on litigation costs. Your figures stay in your browser.
Your estimate
| Filing fee (case acceptance fee) | |
| Freeze application fee | |
| Enforcement application fee |
Not included: lawyer's fees, translation, notarisation or apostille of your documents, the guarantee for a freeze, and any valuation or handwriting examination.
How the fees are worked out
The rules are the State Council's Measures on the Payment of Litigation Costs (訴訟費用交納辦法). Each band applies only to the part of the amount inside it.
Inheritance and other property disputes (art. 13(1))
- Up to RMB 10,000: RMB 50 per case
- RMB 10,000 to 100,000: 2.5%
- RMB 100,000 to 200,000: 2%
- RMB 200,000 to 500,000: 1.5%
- RMB 500,000 to 1 million: 1%
- RMB 1 million to 2 million: 0.9%
- RMB 2 million to 5 million: 0.8%
- RMB 5 million to 10 million: 0.7%
- RMB 10 million to 20 million: 0.6%
- Over RMB 20 million: 0.5%
Divorce (art. 13(2))
RMB 50 to 300 per case; each province sets its own figure inside that range. If property is divided and the total is RMB 200,000 or less, nothing more is due. Above RMB 200,000, 0.5% is added on the part over that amount. The calculator shows the range and the property part.
Other cases with no money claim (art. 13(2))
RMB 50 to 100 per case, with the figure set by the province.
Special-procedure applications (art. 8)
Cases heard under the special procedure of the Civil Procedure Law pay no filing fee.
Freezing assets and enforcing a judgment (art. 14)
The freeze fee is RMB 30 up to RMB 1,000, then 1% to RMB 100,000 and 0.5% above that, capped at RMB 5,000. The enforcement fee is RMB 50 up to RMB 10,000, then 1.5% to RMB 500,000, 1% to RMB 5 million, 0.5% to RMB 10 million and 0.1% above that. Under art. 20 the enforcement fee is paid after enforcement.
Who pays in the end (arts. 20 and 29)
The claimant, or the appellant, pays the filing fee in advance. At the end the losing side bears the court fees. If each side wins in part, the court decides how to split them.
Simplified procedure and appeals (arts. 16 and 17)
A case heard under the simplified procedure pays half the filing fee. An appeal in a property case pays a filing fee on the amount appealed.
Common questions about court fees in China
What is the court fee for an inheritance claim worth RMB 1 million?
The filing fee for a property claim of RMB 1 million is RMB 13,800 under art. 13 of the Measures on the Payment of Litigation Costs. If the case is heard under the simplified procedure, the fee is halved to RMB 6,900 (art. 16).
Who pays the court fees in the end?
The losing side bears the court fees (art. 29). The claimant pays the filing fee in advance (art. 20), and when each side wins in part, the court decides how to split the fees.
How much is the court fee for a divorce in China?
A divorce case costs RMB 50 to 300, with the exact figure set by each province. If property worth more than RMB 200,000 is divided, 0.5% of the part above RMB 200,000 is added (art. 13).
Is there a filing fee for a ruling that a parent can no longer make decisions?
No. An application to rule on a person's capacity is heard under the special procedure, and special-procedure cases pay no filing fee (art. 8).
For your own case, the written assessment (USD 1,950) covers the court route and its likely costs.