The True Cost of Litigation in Russia

A Russian lawsuit costs more than the court fee. A realistic budget includes the state duty, the attorney's fee, expert and translation costs, enforcement work and the time a case takes through appeals. Part of these costs can be recovered from the losing side, but rarely all of them.

This breakdown is prepared by attorney Elena Petrova for clients abroad weighing whether a claim in Russia is worth pursuing.

State Duty and How It Is Calculated

The state duty is set by the Tax Code and depends on the court and the claim amount. Property claims are charged on a sliding scale; non-property claims pay a fixed sum. The rates were raised substantially in 2024, so older estimates are no longer reliable. We calculate the duty for your exact claim before filing.

Separate duties apply to appeals, cassation and interim measures. Duty paid by the winner is ordered back from the loser.

Attorney Fees and Fee Structures

Advocate fees are agreed in the written engagement. Common models are a fixed fee per stage, hourly billing and, in civil and arbitrazh cases, a success fee in addition to a base payment. A contract should state what each stage includes and which expenses are extra.

Courts award representation costs to the winner within reasonable limits. The judge looks at complexity, duration and regional rates, so the award is often lower than the fee actually paid.

Experts, Translators and Notaries

Construction, valuation, handwriting and accounting disputes often need a court expert. The party requesting the examination usually deposits the fee in advance. Foreign clients also pay for certified translations, apostilles and notarised powers of attorney.

Hidden Costs That Surprise Clients

Some expenses appear only later: extra hearings after adjournments, an appeal by the other side, currency conversion fees and the cost of locating the debtor's assets. Enforcement through bailiffs can take months, and a debtor may go bankrupt, turning you into one of many creditors.

How Cost Recovery Works

The Civil Procedure Code and the Arbitrazh Procedure Code distribute costs in proportion to the satisfied part of the claim. If you win 60 percent, you recover about 60 percent of eligible costs. The application for costs can be filed within a limited period after the final ruling, so keep every invoice and payment record.

Building a Litigation Budget

We split the budget into stages: pre-trial claim, first instance, appeal, cassation and enforcement. Each stage gets a range, not a single figure, with a note of what is recoverable. This shows the point at which a settlement becomes cheaper than continuing.

When a Claim Is Not Worth Filing

A small claim against a company with no assets can cost more than it returns. Before filing, we check the debtor's registry status, court history and signs of insolvency. Sometimes a well-drafted pre-trial claim or negotiation gives a better net result than a lawsuit.

The main channel of communication with the attorney is email: attorneypetrova1@gmail.com.