What fees are applicable?

How much shall I pay?

What happens if I do not pay the court fees on time?

How can I pay the court fees?

What shall I do after the payment?

Introduction

Pursuant to Section 33 of the Civil Procedure Law (Civilprocesa likums) the costs of judicial proceedings (tiesāšanās izdevumi) comprise:

1) a State fee (valsts nodeva)

2) an office fee (kancelejas nodeva)

3) expenses related to the examination of a case.

A State fee must be paid for every application submitted to the court - an original claim, a counterclaim, an application brought by a third party with a separate claim in respect of the subject-matter of the dispute in proceedings already commenced, an application in a special form of procedure, or another application provided for in Section 34 of the Civil Procedure Law.

An office fee is payable:

1. for issuing a copy of a document in the case, as well as re-issuing a court judgment or decision, EUR 7.11
2. for issuing a certificate, EUR 2.85
3. for issuing a duplicate copy of a writ of execution, EUR 14.23
4. for certifying the entry into force of a court judgment, if the judgment is to be submitted to foreign authorities, EUR 4.27
5. for inviting witnesses, EUR 4.27 per person.

1. amounts payable to witnesses and experts
2. expenses associated with the questioning of witnesses or the conduct of inspections on site
3. expenses incurred in tracing the defendant
4. expenses relating to the enforcement of a court judgment
5. expenses relating to the service, issuing and translation of court notices and other judicial documents
6. the costs of publishing notices in newspapers
7. the costs associated with pledges or security

A State fee cannot be paid electronically.

What fees are applicable?

A State fee is payable for a small claim submitted to the court.

An office fee is payable for issuing a copy of a document in the case, as well as re-issuing a court judgment or decision; for issuing a certificate; for issuing a duplicate copy of a writ of execution; for certifying the entry into force of a court judgment, if the judgment is to be submitted to foreign authorities; for inviting witnesses.

Expenses related to the examination of a case are payable for amounts payable to witnesses and experts; expenses associated with the questioning of witnesses or the conduct of inspections on site; expenses incurred in tracing the defendant; expenses relating to the enforcement of a court judgment; expenses relating to the service, issuing and translation of court notices and other judicial documents; the costs of publishing notices in newspapers; the costs associated with pledges or security.

How much shall I pay?

When you submit an application, you must pay a State fee in the amount of 15 % of the sum of the claim, but not less than EUR 71.41. No State fee is payable for child or parent maintenance claims.

The court will order the losing party to reimburse all court expenses paid by the successful party. If a claim has been satisfied in part, the court will order that the court expenses be reimbursed to the plaintiff in proportion to the part of the claims satisfied, and to the defendant in proportion to the part of the claims dismissed. There is no reimbursement of the State fee for an ancillary complaint (blakus sudzība) in respect of a court decision, or for the reopening of court proceedings after a default judgment has been given.

If a plaintiff withdraws a claim, he or she has to reimburse the court expenses incurred by the defendant. In that case the defendant will not have to reimburse the court expenses paid by the plaintiff. However, if a plaintiff withdraws his or her claims because the defendant has voluntarily satisfied those claims after the claims were submitted, the court will, upon application by the plaintiff, order the defendant to reimburse the court expenses paid by the plaintiff.

If the court decides not to hear an action, the court will, upon application by the defendant, order the plaintiff to reimburse the court expenses paid by the defendant.

If a plaintiff is exempted from paying court expenses, the defendant will be ordered to pay the plaintiff's court expenses to the State revenue in proportion to the part of the claim that has been satisfied.

An office fee is payable:

1. for issuing a copy of a document in the case, as well as re-issuing a court judgment or decision, EUR 7.11
2. for issuing a certificate, EUR 2.85
3. for issuing a duplicate copy of a writ of execution, EUR 14.23
4. for certifying the entry into force of a court judgment, if the judgment is to be submitted to foreign authorities, EUR 4.27
5. for inviting witnesses, EUR 4.27 per person.

What happens if I do not pay the court fees on time?

If an application is not accompanied by the documents confirming the payment of State fees and other court expenses in accordance with the procedure and in the amount prescribed by law, the court, pursuant to Section 133 of the Civil Procedure Law, will proceed no further with the application, and will set a time limit for the plaintiff to eliminate the deficiencies.

If the plaintiff eliminates the deficiencies within the time limit set, the application will be considered to have been submitted on the day when it was first submitted to the court.

If the plaintiff does not eliminate the deficiencies within the time limit set, the application will be deemed not to have been submitted and will be returned to the plaintiff.

The return of an application to the plaintiff does not prevent the plaintiff from submitting it to the court again, in compliance with the ordinary procedures laid down in the Law.

How can I pay the court fees?

The State fee and the office fee can be paid to the account of the State Treasury (Valsts kase). Expenses related to the examination of a case can be paid to the account of the Courts Office (Tiesu administrācija).

The fee for court activities (State fee) (Section 34 of the Civil Procedure Law, with the exception of Paragraph six):

Beneficiary: Valsts kase

Registration No 90000050138

Account No: LV55TREL1060190911200

Beneficiary’s bank: Valsts kase

BIC code TRELLV22

Purpose of payment: particulars identifying the person or the case: the number of the case (if known); for natural persons, the given name, surname, and personal identity number; for legal persons, the name and registration number. If the payment of a State fee is made on behalf of another person, information must be given identifying that person: the number of the case (if known); for natural persons, the given name, surname, and personal identity number; for legal persons – name and registration number.

The fee for the submission for enforcement of a writ of execution or another enforcement document (a State fee) (Section 34 of the Civil Procedure Law, Paragraph six) is to be paid as follows:

Beneficiary: Valsts kase

Registration No 90000050138

Account No: LV71TREL1060190911300

Beneficiary’s bank: Valsts kase

BIC code TRELLV22

Purpose of payment: particulars identifying the person or the case: the number of the case (if known); for natural persons, the given name, surname, and personal identity number; for legal persons, the name and registration number. If the payment of a State fee is made on behalf of another person, information must be given identifying that person: the number of the case (if known); for natural persons, the given name, surname, and personal identity number; for legal persons – name and registration number.

The office fee (Section 38 of the Civil Procedure Law):

The office fee in a court institution:

Beneficiary: Valsts kase

Registration No 90000050138

Account No: LV39TREL1060190911100

Beneficiary’s bank: Valsts kase

BIC code TRELLV22

Purpose of payment: particulars identifying the person or the case: the number of the case (if known); for natural persons, the given name, surname, and personal identity number; for legal persons, the name and registration number. If the payment of an office fee is made on behalf of another person, information must be given identifying that person: the number of the case (if known); for natural persons, the given name, surname, and personal identity number; for legal persons – name and registration number.

Expenses related to the examination of a case (Section 39 of the Civil Procedure Law);

District (city) courts and regional courts:

Beneficiary: Tiesu administrācija

Registration No 90001672316

Account No: LV51TREL2190458019000

Beneficiary’s bank: Valsts kase

BIC code TRELLV22

Purpose of payment: ‘21499’, and indicate the data identifying the person or the case: the number of the case (if known); for natural persons, the given name, surname, and personal identity number; for legal persons, the name and registration number. If the payment of expenses related to the examination of a case is made on behalf of another person, information must be given identifying that person: the number of the case (if known); for natural persons, the given name, surname, and personal identity number; for legal persons, the name and registration number.

What shall I do after the payment?

When you submit an application to the court, you must attach documents confirming payment of State fees and other court expenses in accordance with the procedure and in the amount prescribed by law.