The short version
- The filing fee depends on how much you're claiming: $62 up to $496 (as at July 2026).
- That's usually the only fee. Lawyers aren't allowed, so there are no legal bills — for either side.
- The fee is non-refundable, but if your claim succeeds the referee can order the other side to pay it back - if they think that's fair.
- Chasing a debt the other person doesn't dispute? The Tribunal isn't the place — you'd be wasting the fee - go to a debt collection agency.
The Disputes Tribunal is deliberately affordable. It exists so that a $3,000 problem doesn't cost $20,000 to solve — the filing fee is the only compulsory cost, and it's set low enough that pursuing what you're owed almost always makes financial sense.
The filing fee
What you pay depends on what you're claiming:
| You're claiming | Filing fee |
|---|---|
| Less than $2,000 | $62 |
| $2,000 to less than $5,000 | $124 |
| $5,000 to $30,000 | $248 |
| $30,001 to $60,000 | $496 |
Fees as published on disputestribunal.govt.nz. The top band is newer than the rest — it arrived in January 2026, when the Tribunal's maximum claim doubled from $30,000 to $60,000.
What else can cost you
- Your time. Gathering evidence, preparing your case, and the hearing itself — most hearings run around an hour, but that still typically means significant time off work for travel etc. Plus, good preparation takes time - it is not unusual for applicants to spend upwards of 12 hours preparing their evidence.
- Quotes and assessments. If your case needs a repair quote or an expert's opinion, whoever provides it will usually charge for it.
- Enforcement, if they don't pay. The Tribunal doesn't chase the money for you. If the other side ignores the order, you can enforce it through the District Court — which has its own fees — or use a debt collection agency, which takes a cut. The order counts as a District Court order, and enforcing it can add court fees and interest to what they already owe you. Be realistic, though: an order against someone with no assets can be very hard to collect.
- An appeal, if it comes to that. Filing an appeal costs $275 — though as we cover in the hearing guide, the grounds are so narrow that very few cases get there.
Can you get your filing fee back?
The filing fee is non-refundable — but if your claim succeeds in whole or in part, the referee can order the other party to reimburse it. That's at the referee's discretion, not automatic, so ask for it as part of what you're claiming.
Beyond that, each side generally carries its own costs. There's no award for hassle, stress or time spent — and since nobody has a lawyer, there are no legal costs to argue about.
So is it worth it?
Run the numbers, honestly. On a $500 claim, $62 is about 12% of what's at stake — annoying, but usually worth it if your evidence is solid. On a $10,000 claim, $248 is a rounding error. Beyond that, it's always worth it. And remember the deadline is generous: you usually have up to six years from the event to bring a claim.
The real cost of most Tribunal cases isn't the filing fee — it's the preparation time. That part you can either do yourself with our Evidence Guides, or have done for you to a professional standard, and in a flash.
Win your dispute
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