Disputes Tribunal Fees and Interest: What It Actually Costs to Claim
Last updated 19 August 2026 · 6 min read
Quick answer
Filing at the Disputes Tribunal costs a fee that rises with your claim amount, from $45 for small claims up to $300 for the largest ones the Tribunal hears. Interest on top of the amount you're owed is not automatic; you need to ask for it, and where it's awarded it's simple interest calculated daily, commonly around 5% per annum. You can also ask the Referee to order the other party to repay your filing fee. Itemise all three separately in your application so the final order is unambiguous.
Most people preparing a Disputes Tribunal claim focus entirely on the principal amount they're owed and give little thought to the filing fee or to interest. Both are worth understanding before you file, since the fee affects whether the claim is worth bringing at all, and interest is only ever awarded if you specifically ask for it.
Step 1: Work out your filing fee
The Disputes Tribunal charges a filing fee that scales with how much you're claiming, not a flat rate. As a guide: $45 for claims up to $500, $90 up to $2,000, $140 up to $5,000, $180 up to $10,000, $210 up to $15,000, $240 up to $20,000, and $300 above that. Check the current schedule on the Ministry of Justice site before filing, since fees are reviewed periodically, but the banding gives you a realistic expectation of what filing will cost before you commit to a claim.
Step 2: Don't assume interest is automatic
Unlike a filing fee, interest on the amount you're owed is not something the Tribunal adds automatically. You need to specifically ask for it in your application and explain why you think it's fair, and a Referee has discretion over whether to award it and from what date. Claimants who only ask for the principal amount routinely leave money on the table simply because they didn't raise it.
Step 3: Understand how Tribunal interest is calculated
Where interest is awarded, it's simple interest, not compounding: take the amount, apply an annual rate, divide by 365 to get a daily figure, then multiply by the number of days it applies for. A commonly used reference rate is around 5% per annum. On a $4,000 claim, that works out to roughly $0.55 a day, so 60 days of interest adds about $32.88. Small numbers individually, but worth including, since a Referee cannot award what you didn't ask for.
Step 4: Ask about recovering your filing fee too
Beyond the claim amount and interest, you can ask the Referee to order the other party to repay your filing fee if you're successful. This isn't guaranteed, it's at the Referee's discretion, but there's no reason not to ask for it. Note it as a separate line in your application rather than folding it into your claim total, so the Referee can see exactly what it is and rule on it specifically.
Step 5: Put together one clear total figure
Before your hearing, write out the principal amount, any interest you're claiming and how you calculated it, and the filing fee you paid. Presenting these as separate, itemised lines rather than a single round number makes it far easier for a Referee to follow your reasoning and for the other party to see exactly what they're disputing. It also means there's no confusion later about what the final order is actually meant to cover.
Step 6: What the order covers once you win
If the Referee finds in your favour, the order will specify exactly what's owed: principal, any interest awarded, and any filing fee recovery granted. If the other party doesn't pay, that order can be enforced through the District Court in the same way as a court judgment, using the figures set out in the order itself. This is another reason to get your numbers right at the hearing stage rather than trying to correct them afterwards.
A worked example
Say a tradesperson owes you $4,000 for a job they were paid for but never completed. Your claim amount of $4,000 falls in the $2,000-$5,000 band, so the filing fee is $140. You ask for interest from the date you first raised the issue with them to the date of the hearing, 60 days, at 5% per annum: $4,000 × 5% ÷ 365 × 60 = $32.88. You also ask the Referee to order repayment of your $140 filing fee. If the Referee agrees on all three, your order totals $4,172.88, broken out as $4,000 principal, $32.88 interest, and $140 filing fee recovery.
This guide is general information, not legal advice, and fees and rates can change. LawClaims is a document preparation tool, not a law firm, and no solicitor-client relationship is formed by using it or reading this page. For current fees and rates, check the Ministry of Justice website, or consider free advice services such as Community Law for anything beyond a straightforward claim.
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