Legal Process Types

Compare requirements, fees, and timelines for 12 common legal processes across 10 US states. According to each state court's official fee schedule, 20 of 120 process-state combinations are free ($0) to file, and fee-charging filings in our database run $20–$1,435. Select a process type to see a full state-by-state comparison.

Educational purposes only. This information does not constitute legal advice. Always verify current fees and requirements with your local court before filing.

⚖️

Civil Lawsuit

10 states ~$405 typical fee

Legal action between private parties seeking monetary damages or specific performance.

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🤝

Court Mediation

10 states ~$181 typical fee

Facilitated negotiation process to resolve disputes outside of trial with a neutral mediator.

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⚖️

Divorce

10 states ~$292 typical fee

Legal dissolution of a marriage, including division of assets, child custody, and spousal support.

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🛡️

Domestic Violence Protection

10 states Often Free

Emergency and long-term protective orders for victims of domestic violence, abuse, or stalking. Filing is typically free.

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🏠

Eviction

10 states ~$195 typical fee

Legal process for a landlord to remove a tenant from a rental property.

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👥

Guardianship

10 states ~$317 typical fee

Legal process to establish court-supervised care for a minor or incapacitated adult.

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📋

Name Change

10 states ~$239 typical fee

Legal process to officially change your name through the court system.

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📜

Probate

10 states ~$380 typical fee

Court-supervised process to administer a deceased person's estate and distribute assets.

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🏛️

Property Dispute

10 states ~$404 typical fee

Civil litigation involving ownership, boundary, or rights related to real or personal property.

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🛡️

Restraining Order

10 states Often Free

Court order restricting contact or proximity between individuals, typically for safety reasons.

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💼

Small Claims

10 states ~$93 typical fee

Simplified court process for resolving disputes involving smaller dollar amounts without an attorney.

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🔑

Tenant Rights

10 states ~$109 typical fee

Legal actions available to tenants including habitability complaints, security deposit recovery, and anti-retaliation claims.

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Download the court filing-fee registry cited on this page: civil-process-filing-fees.csv (CC0).

Fee and timeline figures on PlainCivil are rendered from the portal's state-process database compiled from published court schedules, no fee is invented for a ranking. Process hub lists process-type directories aggregated from stored court-schedule fee fields. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of 2026-09-01. PlainCivil does not rate, rank-recommend, or advise on legal strategy, it reports what published schedules and court materials contain.