2026 ranking · Avg Fee
Cheapest Civil Process Types
Civil process types ranked by lowest national average filing fee, the most affordable legal actions. According to PlainCivil's compiled state court fee schedules, updated September 2026 -- these are indexed figures, not a live clerk quote.
Fee rank is not wait rank
Restraining Order leads this list at $0; the #12 cutoff is $350 (Civil Lawsuit); a $350 spread across the 12 ranked entries.
- $0
- #1 Restraining Order
- $350
- #12 cutoff
- 12
- entries ranked
This list and the counterpart fee/wait board both read stored court-schedule fields. County charges, waivers, and current local rules can differ.
Across PlainCivil's indexed coverage, 20 of 120 process-state combinations are free ($0) and fee-charging filings run $20–$1,435 in the 10 states we track. Rankings spot outliers; they are not legal advice. Verify current figures with the clerk where you plan to file, and read the linked state or process record for fee waivers and local rules.
| # | Name | Avg Fee |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Restraining Order | $0 |
| 2 | Domestic Violence Protection | $0 |
| 3 | Small Claims | $75 |
| 4 | Tenant Rights | $100 |
| 5 | Eviction | $150 |
| 6 | Court Mediation | $150 |
| 7 | Probate | $200 |
| 8 | Name Change | $225 |
| 9 | Divorce | $300 |
| 10 | Property Dispute | $300 |
| 11 | Guardianship | $350 |
| 12 | Civil Lawsuit | $350 |
Source: State court filing fee schedules and legal aid organizations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are protective orders free?
Courts and legislatures recognize that charging fees for protective orders could deter abuse victims from seeking safety. Federal law (Violence Against Women Act) prohibits charging fees for protective orders in most contexts. The public safety benefit of accessible protective orders outweighs any court revenue considerations.
Can I handle cheap processes without a lawyer?
Many low-cost processes are specifically designed for self-represented litigants. Small claims courts generally prohibit attorneys. Name changes, restraining orders, and tenant rights actions have simplified forms and procedures. Court self-help centers can assist with paperwork for these affordable process types.
Explore More Rankings
Read our methodology . How this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Related
Source: Published state court fee schedules (compiled) PlainCivil state-process filing-fee database · 2026
Take this with you
Where to go next from cheapest civil process types.
- See which processes cost the most nationally, not just by state View most expensive processes
- Read the pro se litigation guide before filing without an attorney Read the guide
- Look up how a specific fee compares across our full indexed database Use the fee percentile tool
Filing fees and waiting periods change; verify current figures with your local court before filing.
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. Ranking values are aggregates of database filing-fee fields, not a separate federal disposition series. 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.
| Publisher | PlainCivil |
| Sources | Public state court datasets and federal civil-justice records |