LegalCostCalculator
Transparency Data Quality Updated May 2026

Our Data Methodology

How we source, verify, and maintain legal cost data for all 50 states — and why government sources are the only sources we trust.

Our Mission

LegalCostCalculator.org was built to make legal costs transparent for everyday people who need to navigate the court system without an attorney. Filing fees, court limits, and legal costs are public information — but they're scattered across hundreds of government websites, written in bureaucratic language, and almost never presented side-by-side in a useful format.

We collect, normalize, and publish this data so that anyone — whether you're suing your landlord, forming a business, or filing for divorce — can understand what it will cost before you begin.

How We Source Our Data

✓
Official government sources only — no third-party aggregators

All fees, limits, and procedural details are hand-curated directly from official U.S. state and county court websites, Secretary of State portals, and state statutes. We do not use third-party data providers, legal publishing companies, or scrapers that may carry stale information.

Our data collection process for each state or county page:

1
Identify the authoritative government source
For each data point (e.g., a small claims limit or LLC filing fee), we locate the official state court administrator website, Secretary of State portal, or relevant state statute. We prioritize the source that is directly responsible for the fee — not a summary page.
2
Extract the exact fee or limit
We copy the data directly from the .gov source. For filing fees, we capture tiered structures (e.g., "$30 for claims up to $1,500; $50 for $1,501–$5,000") rather than a single averaged figure. For limits, we capture both the dollar figure and the statutory basis.
3
Record the source URL and publication date
Every data point has a source. Our JSON data files store the source reference, and individual calculator pages link directly to the official court site so users can verify for themselves.
4
Cross-check against state statutes where applicable
Where court fee schedules can be derived from or verified against state statutes (e.g., Texas Gov't Code § 118.121 for JP court fees), we cross-check both sources to ensure consistency.

How Often We Update

We conduct a full data audit quarterly — reviewing all 50 states across all five calculator categories (small claims, LLC, divorce, notary, and county-level fees). When a state legislature or court system updates fees, our centralized data files are updated within 48 hours of us becoming aware of the change.

Fee changes typically occur at the start of a state fiscal year (July 1 for most states) or following legislative sessions. We monitor court administrator websites and state legislative feeds for announcements.

Each page displays its last updated date, and our data files include a lastUpdated field. If you notice a discrepancy between our published fee and the fee shown on an official court website, please contact us at contact@legalcostcalculator.org — we investigate and update within 24 hours.

What We Are — and What We Are Not

What LegalCostCalculator Is

  • ✓An educational data directory of publicly available legal cost information
  • ✓A free resource for pro se filers who want to understand court costs before filing
  • ✓A research tool for small business owners, journalists, and researchers comparing legal costs across states
  • ✓A starting point — always verify with the official court before filing

What LegalCostCalculator Is Not

  • ✗A law firm — we do not provide legal advice or representation
  • ✗A substitute for consulting an attorney for complex legal matters
  • ✗A guarantee that the fee you see is the exact fee you will pay — fees can change and vary by circumstance
  • ✗Affiliated with any court system, government agency, or law firm

Coverage

50
US States
All 50, plus DC where applicable
170+
Counties
County-level divorce + small claims data
5
Calculator Types
Small claims, LLC, divorce, notary, county courts
2,600+
Pages
Covering every state page combination

Source Transparency by Category

Below are representative government sources for each data category. Every individual state and county page links directly to the relevant official court website.

Data Category Source Type Notes
Small Claims Court Limits & Fees State court administrator .gov websites (e.g., courts.ca.gov, txcourts.gov, vacourts.gov) Each state's official court system publishes fee schedules, which are verified per calculator page.
LLC Formation & Annual Report Fees State Secretary of State websites (e.g., sos.texas.gov, sos.state.ma.us, nevadabusinessregistrations.com) Filing fees verified against online filing portals; franchise tax from state Department of Revenue.
Divorce Filing Fees State court fee schedules from Unified Court Systems and state Supreme Courts Base filing fee, service of process, and mandatory surcharges captured separately per state.
Notary Fees & RON Authorization State notary statutes and Secretary of State notary divisions Maximum fee per notarial act sourced from state statutes; RON authorization verified from enacted legislation.
County-Level Court Data Individual county court .gov websites and local court fee schedules Each county page cites the specific court URL. Addresses and phone numbers verified against official court directories.

Found an Error?

Legal fees change. If you find a discrepancy between our published data and the current official fee schedule, please let us know. We investigate and update within 24 hours.

Report a Data Error →