For many monetary civil claims in Georgia the standard first-instance court fee is 3% of the amount in dispute, with a GEL 100 minimum (Civil Procedure Code, Article 39; special cases and limits apply). Filing also requires identifying the correct court, legal claim and evidence. Three percent of a GEL 10,000 claim is GEL 300, but fees must be checked against the particular claim and statutory exceptions.
Applicable legislation: Civil Code of Georgia, Civil Procedure Code, Law of Georgia on Enforcement Proceedings
Court fees in the three instances
Article 39 of the Civil Procedure Code sets a general first-instance property claim duty of 3% (minimum GEL 100), appeal duty of 4% (minimum GEL 150) and cassation duty of 5% (minimum GEL 300). Statutory caps, exemptions and special rules may modify the amount.
Illustratively, a GEL 10,000 disputed value produces GEL 300, GEL 400 and GEL 500 at the corresponding stages if the same value remains at issue. These are not three payments automatically due at filing: each procedural stage must actually be initiated. Review the part of the judgment challenged on appeal.
Relevant statutory provisionA claim must identify relief, not just events
A claim should state the requested remedy, legal basis, evidence and competent court. Recovery of money may rest on contractual obligations, damages or restitution; those causes of action are not interchangeable merely because the factual story is the same.
Organise exhibits chronologically and link each document to a factual proposition. An invoice may record an amount claimed, while delivery may require acceptance records or transport evidence.
Relevant statutory provisionKey conditions and figures
Define the remedy before the paperwork
Start with a precise remedy, not a long narrative. Are you seeking payment, delivery of property, performance, invalidity or another result? Each remedy has its own statutory elements. An unpaid invoice is not the same as compensatory damages. Write the intended court order in one sentence and test whether the law supports it.
Identify the correct defendant
The person negotiating is not always the legally liable party. A contract may be with a company while communications involve employees or agents. Check the parties, registry records, authority and assignments. Naming the wrong defendant can waste time and cost. Where several parties may be liable, explain the basis of each claim.
Create an evidence map
Map each fact to an exhibit, its origin and any weakness. Performance may require a contract, work report, acceptance document, emails and payment evidence. If a record is held by another party, consider lawful production mechanisms. Preserve original electronic files and dates. Quantity of exhibits cannot replace a clear explanation of what each proves.
Forum, time limits and cost
Separate substantive limitation, jurisdiction, any arbitration agreement and filing deadlines. Consider court fees, translations, experts and representation. Verify actual amounts against the current fee rules and the claim value. A decision to sue should reflect probable recoverability, not only confidence in the legal argument.
Think about enforcement from day one
Where money is sought, examine the debtor's assets and enforcement barriers. Interim measures may be available under the Civil Procedure Code if properly justified. Settlement can be valuable when performance terms are realistic. A judgment is one stage; the client's real goal is obtaining payment or an effective legal result.
Example: a claim against a contractor
Suppose an employer prepaid a contractor but the amount of completed work is disputed. Reconcile advances, certified work, disputed certificates and possible set-off claims. A payment receipt alone does not establish the final sum due. Choose the remedy: restitution, performance, damages, or a legally compatible combination. Verify the forum and any dispute-resolution clause and attach a stage-by-stage evidence schedule.
Cause of action and limitation
Article 129 of the Civil Code generally prescribes a three-year period for contractual claims and six years for contractual claims concerning immovable property. Article 130 addresses commencement; other provisions govern exceptions, interruption and suspension. Build a timeline of breach, discovery and legally significant steps before assuming a deadline.
Choosing the court and formulating relief
Jurisdiction is not determined solely by amount. Consider parties, territorial rules, subject matter, arbitration clauses and special routes. Separate principal debt, penalties, interest and damages, explaining each legal and factual basis without double recovery. Verify the defendant’s legal identity and registered details.
Court fee, relief and cost planning
The 3% formula and GEL 100 minimum apply to specified claim categories only; the Code also contains alternative charges, caps and exemptions. For a GEL 8,000 monetary claim, 3% is GEL 240 before any adjustments for other claim components. Budget separately for counsel, experts, translation, witnesses and enforcement.
Build a coherent evidence bundle
Before filing, collect contracts and annexes, invoices, acceptance certificates, payment records, correspondence and proof of delivery of notices. Present a reconciliation schedule showing due dates, paid amounts and balances. Where asset dissipation threatens enforcement, examine interim relief and proportionality; security measures are not automatic.
Mapping each claim to evidence
Build a table with every claim and its evidence. For principal debt, prove the relationship, performance and nonpayment. For a contractual penalty, identify the clause, breach period and calculation. For damages, explain loss, amount and causation. Where an advance is disputed against the value of partial performance, inspect acceptance and performance records separately. Each figure should be reproducible. An unverified spreadsheet with a large number does not strengthen the pleading. Preserve originals and obtain records lawfully. Identify genuinely disputed facts versus facts the parties already agree on: this may reduce evidence costs and focus expert work.
Enforceability matters before filing
Evidence alone does not determine whether litigation makes commercial sense. Check the defendant’s legal status, known assets, existing security and other disputes. If the debtor company is being wound up, creditors may have special filing routes. An application for interim relief requires showing a genuine enforcement risk and proportionality; freezing assets is not an automatic consequence of filing. A favorable costs order may not reimburse the entire amount paid to lawyers. Prepare a budget for initial work, filing duty, first instance, potential appeals, experts and enforcement. Draft settlements so that payment dates, security and consequences of default are actually enforceable.