Dubai Court Litigation Fees: A Complete Guide to Filing, Appeal, Cassation, and Execution Costs
Before filing any monetary claim before the Dubai Courts, knowing the exact litigation fee — not a rough estimate — is what separates sound legal planning from an unpleasant financial surprise. Dubai Court fees are set out in Law No. 21 of 2015 and its amendment, Law No. 2 of 2019, and include defined caps, tiered rates, and special rules for appeal, cassation, execution, and labour claims. In this guide, our legal team sets out the full fee schedule with practical worked examples for lawyers, legal advisers, and litigants alike.
Why Calculating the Court Fee Correctly Matters Before You File
The fee for filing a claim before the Dubai Courts, particularly in high-value disputes, can reach tens of thousands of dirhams. Many claimants — and even some non-specialist advisers — underestimate this fee before filing, or miscalculate the statutory caps. The result can be a delay in registering the claim, the need for a top-up payment mid-proceedings, or flawed financial planning for the case as a whole.
The filing fee, moreover, is only part of the equation. Appeal, cassation, execution, and — in labour disputes — a distinct set of rules each carry their own separate cost structure, and all of these should be factored into a client’s legal and financial planning from the very start of the case.
Important: this guide is based on the text of Law No. 21 of 2015 and its amendment, Law No. 2 of 2019, concerning judicial fees before the Dubai Courts, and applies specifically to Dubai’s local courts (First Instance, Appeal, and Cassation). These fees differ from those of the DIFC Courts, the UAE federal courts, and the courts of other emirates. Before taking any step, share your claim value with us for a precise fee calculation.
The Legal Basis for Dubai Court Fees
The principal framework for judicial fees before the Dubai Courts is Law No. 21 of 2015, which sets out the complete fee schedule for filing a claim, appeal, cassation, and enforcement of judgments. This law was amended in 2019 by Law No. 2 of 2019, which primarily affected execution fee rates and certain cassation and deadline-related charges.
This fee schedule applies only to Dubai’s local courts (Dubai Courts). The Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC) and its courts, the UAE federal courts, and the courts of other emirates each maintain their own independent fee schedules, which can differ significantly from the figures below.
The Filing Fee for a Monetary Claim at First Instance
The general rule for monetary claims is a fee of 6% of the claim value. This rate, however, can never exceed the caps below, and in no case will the fee be less than AED 500:
| Claim Value Range | Maximum Fee Payable |
|---|---|
| Up to AED 500,000 | Capped at AED 20,000 |
| AED 500,001 to AED 1,000,000 | Capped at AED 30,000 |
| Above AED 1,000,000 | Capped at AED 40,000 |
Worked Examples
| Claim Value (AED) | 6% of Amount | Fee Payable |
|---|---|---|
| 50,000 | 3,000 | 3,000 |
| 100,000 | 6,000 | 6,000 |
| 300,000 | 18,000 | 18,000 |
| 500,000 | 30,000 | 20,000 |
| 700,000 | 42,000 | 30,000 |
| 1,000,000 | 60,000 | 30,000 |
| 1,500,000 | 90,000 | 40,000 |
| 10,000,000 | 600,000 | 40,000 |
Key point: however far above AED 1 million the claim value goes — even for claims worth tens of millions of dirhams — the filing fee will never exceed AED 40,000. That is the final statutory cap.
Want to Know the Exact Fee for Your Case Before Filing?
Complete the consultation request form and, within 24 hours, our legal specialists will calculate the precise filing, appeal, or execution fee for your case and give you a clear financial plan. The initial assessment is completely confidential and free of charge.
Appeal and Cassation Fees
If a case proceeds to appeal or cassation, separate fees and deposits apply:
- Appeal fee: 50% of the fee paid at first instance.
- Civil appeal deposit: AED 1,000, held with the court treasury.
- Cassation fee: a flat AED 2,000, regardless of the claim value.
- Cassation deposit: AED 3,000; refunded if the cassation appeal is admitted and the judgment is set aside, but forfeited if the appeal is dismissed or rejected.
- Application to stay execution pending cassation: AED 1,000.
Because the cassation deposit is forfeited if the appeal is rejected, carefully assessing the prospects of success before filing a cassation appeal matters both legally and financially.
The Fee for Enforcing a Monetary Judgment
Once a judgment becomes final, registering an execution file attracts a fee equal to 2% of the amount to be executed, never less than AED 200 and never more than AED 5,000. In certain commercial claims not exceeding AED 500,000, the amended law may provide specific exceptions to this fee, so the precise nature of the underlying claim should be checked before calculating the execution cost.
Special Fee Rules for Labour Claims
Labour disputes are exempt from the general rule above and follow their own regime:
- Employees whose claim value is under AED 100,000 are exempt from court fees entirely.
- For claims above AED 100,000, a 5% rate applies with its own defined cap, and the employer — regardless of the outcome of the case — remains responsible for paying the court fee.
- An employee can ask the court to defer payment of the fee until final judgment; where this is granted, the fee is deducted from the amount awarded.
Can the Winning Party Recover Its Lawyer’s Fees?
The traditional practice of the Dubai Courts has been that, where a claimant succeeds, the court will typically order the losing party to pay the court fees, but will award only a fixed, relatively modest amount toward the winner’s advocate fees as part of that cost order — not the actual, full cost of the legal representation.
This practice was revisited in a significant, recent judgment of the Dubai Court of Cassation. The Court of Cassation confirmed that an express contractual clause — such as a provision obliging the defaulting party to fully indemnify the other side’s legal costs, including advocate fees — is enforceable, provided sufficient evidence is produced (such as the engagement agreement, invoices, or proof of payment). This marks a notable shift from the UAE courts’ traditionally conservative approach.
Practical note: if you want the ability to recover your lawyer’s fees in full should you win, the indemnity clause needs to be drafted carefully from the contract or pre-litigation correspondence stage, and payment evidence should be kept from the outset. Contact us to review this in your own matter.
Common Mistakes When Calculating Court Fees
- Ignoring the statutory cap: applying a flat 6% to the claim value without accounting for the AED 20,000 / 30,000 / 40,000 caps, which can overstate the fee several times over.
- Forgetting the appeal and cassation deposits: which are non-refundable if the appeal is rejected.
- Assuming full advocate fees are automatically recoverable: without an express contractual clause and retained payment evidence.
- Overlooking the special rules for labour claims: particularly the AED 100,000 exemption threshold.
- Confusing the filing fee with the execution fee: these are two separate charges, and both need to be budgeted for.
Miscalculating the court fee can derail a case’s financial planning from the outset. Before filing, share your claim value with us so we can calculate the exact fee for your case.
How Working With Our Legal Team Works
Our engagement process is simple, transparent, and fully confidential, in four steps:
- Submit your request: complete the consultation form describing your claim value and the type of case. It takes less than two minutes.
- Precise fee calculation: within 24 hours, our specialists calculate the filing fee, any likely appeal or cassation costs, and the execution fee, and provide a full estimate of time and cost.
- Strategy and filing: once agreed, our team carefully prepares the claim, the supporting financial documentation, and any advocate-fee indemnity clause.
- Follow-through to full enforcement: from first instance through appeal, cassation, and execution of the judgment, every stage is managed by our team.
Why Choose Our Legal Team?
Miscalculating a court fee, or overlooking a contractual clause on recovering legal costs, can prove costly for a client. The advantages of working with our team:
- Licensed Emirati advocates with extensive experience in monetary, commercial, and labour disputes before the Dubai Courts, with rights of audience at every stage of proceedings
- Multilingual consultants — including native Persian speakers — who explain your case and fee estimate without an intermediary translator
- Precise, transparent fee calculation before any claim is filed, together with planning for appeal, cassation, and execution stages
- Drafting of legal-cost indemnity clauses to improve the prospects of recovering advocate fees in full if you win
- Complete fee transparency: an honest assessment of court costs and advocate fees before any engagement begins
- Remote handling available: even if you are outside the UAE, your matter can proceed under a formal power of attorney
Frequently Asked Questions About Dubai Court Fees
What is the maximum fee I could ever pay to file a monetary claim in Dubai?
Regardless of how large the claim value is, the filing fee will never exceed AED 40,000. This cap applies to claims valued above AED 1 million.
How is the filing fee calculated?
The general rule is 6% of the claim value, with a minimum of AED 500 and tiered caps of AED 20,000 (up to AED 500,000), AED 30,000 (up to AED 1 million), and AED 40,000 (above AED 1 million).
What happens to the AED 3,000 deposit if my cassation appeal is rejected?
If the cassation appeal is dismissed or not admitted, the deposit is forfeited. It is only refunded if the appeal is admitted and the judgment is set aside.
Can I recover my lawyer’s full fees if I win?
The traditional practice awards only a fixed, limited amount, but under a significant recent ruling of the Dubai Court of Cassation, an express contractual indemnity clause, supported by sufficient evidence (engagement agreement, invoices, or proof of payment), can allow full recovery of advocate fees.
Is the execution fee separate from the filing fee?
Yes. The execution fee is calculated separately, once a judgment becomes final and an execution file is registered, at 2% of the amount to be executed, with a minimum of AED 200 and a maximum of AED 5,000.
Are employees exempt from court fees in labour disputes?
Employees whose claim value is under AED 100,000 are exempt from court fees. For larger claims, a 5% rate applies with its own cap, and the employer is generally responsible for paying it.
Do these fees also apply to the DIFC Courts or the federal courts?
No. This fee schedule is specific to Dubai’s local courts. The DIFC and the UAE federal courts, as well as courts in other emirates, each have their own independent fee schedules.
Is there a minimum fee even for very small claims?
Yes. Under the law, the filing fee for a monetary claim will never be less than AED 500.
Know the Exact Cost of Your Case Before You File
Whether you are evaluating a monetary, commercial, or labour claim, or approaching an appeal or cassation stage, our legal team of licensed Emirati advocates and multilingual consultants is ready to calculate the precise cost of your case and recommend the right strategy.