How to Budget the Cost of a Dubai Courts Lawsuit

Introduction to Hands On Budgeting of Dubai Court Fees

Anticipating as close as possible the Dubai Court Fees and other expenses related to any Dubai litigation. This publication is suited to individuals and companies about to file (or defend) a case in the Dubai Courts and who want a practical, no‑surprises budget.

The timings to read it and work with this information is as soon as you consider litigation—ideally before filing—to align expectations and cash‑flow for the whole journey (first instance → appeal → cassation → execution).

You’ll need:

• The claim amount and case type (civil/commercial, rent, employment).
• Contracts, invoices, correspondence, and any foreign documents you may rely on. Quotes or estimations can be made with these documents and have an expectation to reply and add to memos.
• A rough list of witnesses/experts and whether documents need Arabic translation. Do not worry we can help you in evaluating whether this will be needed and help you budget it in advance.

At‑a‑Glance: What drives cost in Dubai Courts

• Court fees at filing (percentage of claim with caps; different for rent/employment). For specifics we do invite you to visit an earlier publication with expected percentages over the claim amounts.
• Appeal/Cassation fees if you escalate.
• Translations (Arabic, MOJ‑certified) and legalizations for foreign documents.
• Court‑appointed expert deposits/fees (common in technical or accounting/financial disputes).
• Administrative/service costs (courier notifications, printing/binding, publications).
• Your legal fees (retainers, caps, and success components if agreed).

Outcome of this guide: You’ll leave with a step‑by‑step budgeting flow, a recoverability plan, and a ready‑to‑use checklist you can keep on file.

Step‑by‑Step Budgeting Flow for Dubai Court Fees and Related Expenses

1) Identify your case type and baseline court fee

• Civil/Commercial (Dubai Courts): Filing fee is a percentage of the claim subject to caps.
• Rent (RDC) and Employment (Labour) matters use different, lower percentages and their own cap rules.

Tip: Confirm the exact claim amount (principal + interest up to filing date + contractual penalties if any) because it drives the fee calculation.

2) Estimate First‑Instance fees (CFI)

Use this quick reference when preparing funds at filing:

• General civil/commercial claims: Percentage of claim (with caps per bracket).
• Rent disputes: Percentage of Ejari contract value (cap applies).
• Employment disputes: Percentage of claim value (cap applies).

We confirm the latest percentages/caps at intake and record the number on your Budget Sheet.

3) If you may appeal, pre‑provision now

• Court of Appeal (CA): Expect a fee tied to what you paid at first instance (a fraction thereof).
• Court of Cassation (CC): Expect a fixed deposit, fixed fee, and an extra fee if you request a stay of execution.

Why budget early? Many clients lose leverage or time because they haven’t ring‑fenced funds for appeal deadlines.

In summary of the above, below a summary chart with Court’s Expected Costs:

SUMMARY of Dubai Courts Fees

Case Type	Forum	Stage	Fee Basis	Rate	Cap / Deposit	Applied To	Notes
Civil / Commercial	Dubai Courts	First Instance (CFI)	%	6%	Caps: up to 20,000 (≤ AED 500k); 30,000 (AED 500,001–1m); 40,000(> AED 1m)	Claim amount	Knowledge/innovation & fixed small charges may apply.
Civil / Commercial	Dubai Courts	Appeal (CA)	% of CFI	50% of CFI fee	—	CFI fee paid	Budget at filing if appeal is likely.
Civil / Commercial	Dubai Courts	Cassation (CC)	Fixed + deposit	Fixed AED 2,000	Deposit AED 3,000; Stay +AED 1,000	Per case	Check latest schedule.
Rent / Tenancy	RDC (Dubai)	Core filing	%	3.5%(min AED 500)	Practice caps often: 15k (financial) / 20k (eviction) / 35k (combined)	Annual rent / claim	RDC model differs; confirm per case.
Employment	Dubai Courts (Labour)	Core filing	%	5%	Cap AED 20,000	Claim amount	Some exemptions exist; check current rules.

**Dubai Court Fees are subject to change. 

4) Translation plan (Arabic, MOJ‑certified)

• Dubai Courts operate in Arabic. Evidence not in Arabic must be translated by a Ministry of Justice‑licensed translator.
• Prioritise translating only what you rely on. Bundle related documents to avoid repeated headers/stamps.

5) Legalisation plan for foreign documents

• Documents issued outside the UAE generally require notarisation/legalisation in the country of origin and UAE Embassy stamp, then UAE MOFA in the UAE.
• Build this timeline into your filings; it can add weeks.

6) Anticipate court‑appointed expert costs

• Technical/accounting matters often trigger expert appointment. The court will request a deposit from one or both parties, later adjusted against the expert’s final bill.
• Prepare factual binders and a tight list of questions to the expert—good scoping reduces follow‑up costs.

7) Service & administrative costs

• Budget for courier service attempts to the counterparty and, where needed, investigative notifications or publications if standard service fails.
• Keep a log of every receipt; many of these costs are potentially recoverable if you win.

8) Legal fees model (and what you may recover)

• We’ll agree a retainer/fixed or capped hourly structure for predictability. Success components can be discussed within local rules.
• In practice, Dubai Courts frequently award court fees and some out‑of‑pocket costs (especially translations). Legal fees awarded are usually symbolic, so plan as if you won’t recover them.
• Statutory interest on money claims may be awarded; we include a line for expected legal interest in your model.

9) Build your Litigation Budget Sheet – Dubai Court Fees & Related

Create a simple one‑pager with these lines. We have our handy sheet and we can help you prepare an as close as possible expected costs budget:

Filing (CFI)

• Court fee (calc per claim type) – AED ___
• Translation estimate – AED ___
• Legalisation estimate – AED ___
• Admin/service/postage – AED ___
• Retainer (phase 1) – AED ___

Appeal (CA) – if needed

• Court fee (fraction of CFI) – AED ___
• Additional translations/printing – AED ___
• Retainer (phase 2) – AED ___

Cassation (CC) – if needed

• Deposit – AED ___
• Fixed fees – AED ___
• Stay application (optional) – AED ___

Contingencies

• Court‑appointed expert deposit – AED ___
• Extra service/publications – AED ___

Recovery lines

• Court fees & costs (likely)
• Symbolic legal fees (conservative)
• Legal interest % (if claimed)

Quick Dubai Court Fees Recoverability Strategy

• Claim all recoverables (court fees, translations, courier/publications). Attach invoices.
• Track interest from filing or from default date (as pleaded). Courts often award a percentage—factor this into settlement strategy.
• Keep expert cost correspondence—it can affect allocation at judgment.

Frequently Asked Questions (Dubai Courts Fees)

1) Can I file before translations/legalisations are ready? Sometimes—with a core set, then follow promptly under court directions. Ask us to sequence filings to avoid delays.

2) Will I recover my legal fees? Treat any award of legal fees as symbolic; focus your recovery on court fees, translations, and statutory interest.

4) What interest rate should I claim? We tailor the claim (often 5–12% historically, subject to judicial discretion and market conditions). We model multiple scenarios for discussion.

5) How long should I plan for? Simple claims can still take months through judgment and execution. Build a timeline buffer and consider alternative dispute resolution (ADR) parallel tracks.

Ready for filing? Here’s our 30‑minute Budget Sprint

• We confirm your fee bracket and map the appeal/cassation exposure.
• We produce a one‑page Budget Sheet with recoverability notes.
• You get a translation/legalisation action list and proposed expert questions (if likely).

Disclaimer: This is general guidance. Rules and fees change. We’ll confirm the latest figures against your exact case type and court before you commit to any payments.

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We hope this publication will help you understand the process and complexity in evaluating the costs of litigating in Dubai and remain available for any questions regarding this post of general application.

For more information published in English you can visit all our publications at this link as well as the videos in English of our Partner Maria Rubert.

*The information on this page is not intended to be legal advice. This article is intended to provide an initial introduction to the costs of litigating in Dubai and the UAE.