Configuring Filing Fees
Filing fees are displayed to filers during the filing wizard so they know what they owe before submitting. Fees can be set at multiple levels to match your court's fee schedule.
Payment processing is live. Filers add a credit/debit card to their account via the secure Adyen payment system. Cards are charged automatically when a clerk accepts a filing. If payment fails, the filing moves to "Payment Failed" status and the filer is notified to update their card and retry.
Fee Schedule Structure
Navigate to Fee Schedules in the Admin Panel.
Fees can be configured based on three dimensions:
- Court — each court can have its own fee structure
- Case Type — different fees for civil vs. family vs. criminal filings
- Document Type — additional fees for specific document types (e.g., a motion fee, a subpoena fee)
Creating a Fee Rule
- Click Add Fee Schedule
- Select the Court
- Select the Case Type (or "All" if the fee applies regardless of case type)
- Select the Document Type (or "All" if the fee applies to any document)
- Enter the Amount
- Set the Status to Active
How Fees Are Calculated
When a filer reaches the Fees step of the wizard, the system finds all active fee rules that match the selected court, case type, and document types — then adds them together to produce the total.
Fee Waivers
Filers can request a fee waiver during the filing wizard by checking a box. When they do, the clerk reviewing the filing will see a "Waiver Requested" badge and can approve or deny the waiver as part of their review.
Example Fee Schedule
| Court | Case Type | Document Type | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| 19th JDC | Civil | All | $250.00 |
| 19th JDC | Family | All | $150.00 |
| 19th JDC | All | Subpoena | $25.00 |
| City Court of BR | Civil | All | $100.00 |
Keeping fees current: Review your fee schedules periodically — especially at the start of each fiscal year or when the legislature updates fee statutes (R.S. 13:841 et seq.). Outdated fees cause confusion and incorrect payment amounts.
Fee Types
The system supports three fee calculation methods:
| Fee Type | How It Works |
|---|---|
| Flat | A fixed amount per filing or document (e.g., $6 per document) |
| Per Page | Amount multiplied by page count of the document |
| Graduated | Amount varies based on thresholds (e.g., different rate above 50 pages) |
Fee Schedule Versioning
Fee schedules are version controlled — when you change a fee amount, you set an effective date. Pending filings submitted before that date use the old fee; new filings use the updated fee. This prevents retroactive changes from affecting filings already in the queue.
Criminal Cases
Louisiana law prohibits charging filing fees for criminal matters. When configuring criminal case types, set fees to zero. The system will display zero fees to filers for these case types.
Fee-Exempt Filers
Government agencies, District Attorney offices, and public defenders are fee-exempt at the account level. Their filings skip fee calculation entirely. Court administrators set this when managing user accounts.
Advance Deposits (Louisiana)
Louisiana uses an advance deposit system for civil cases:
- When a new civil case is filed, the filer pays the filing fee plus a $350 advance deposit into a case account
- Each subsequent filing in that case draws down from the deposit balance
- Filers are notified when the balance is running low
Note: Advance deposit tracking is a planned feature. Contact your court for current deposit management procedures.