Collections Lawsuit Cost Calculator

Pursuing a money judgment costs more than landlords realize. This calculator stacks all costs.

Filing fee

Attorney fee

Service of process

Post-judgment collection

Total lawsuit cost

$3,535

Court/service cost

$235

Min claim at 30% collection

$11,783

How the math works

Total = filing + attorney + service + collection. Break-even (30% collection) = total ÷ 0.3.

Don't sue claims under $5k unless DIY small-claims route. Attorney-driven suits require $8k+ claims to pencil at typical collection rates. Settle smaller amounts at steeper discounts instead.

How to Use

Enter filing fee.
Enter attorney fee.
Enter service fee.
Enter post-judgment collection.
Read total cost.

Frequently Asked Questions

Typical total?

$2,500-$6,000 for residential small claims through collection. $10k+ for contested cases. Higher-balance cases ($10k+) may justify; smaller rarely do.

DIY vs attorney?

DIY small claims: $50-200 filing fee only. Attorney: adds $1500-$5000 but faster and better at collection. Mid-sized claims often justify DIY.

Collection strategy?

Hire collection agency on contingency (30-50%). They pursue judgment. Wage garnishment, bank levy, asset seizure available post-judgment.

What documentation matters here?

Written leases, move-in/move-out inspections with photographs, ledger entries showing every payment and charge, served notices with proof of service, and contemporaneous emails or texts. Courts weigh written evidence heavily; informal understandings rarely stand. Institutional operators run a monthly file audit to catch gaps before they matter. Good paper trails recover most of what's owed.