Legal Definitions - filing fee

Filing fee

Filing fee is a charge by a government agency for processing documents and requests. The fee helps cover the cost of reviewing the documents, storing them, and discourages unnecessary paper filings. Many agencies require a filing fee, including civil courts, immigration agencies, and the SEC.

• A person filing for a divorce in a civil court may be required to pay a filing fee.
• An immigrant applying for a visa may need to pay a filing fee to the immigration agency.
• A company filing for an initial public offering (IPO) with the SEC will need to pay a filing fee.

These examples illustrate how different government agencies require a filing fee for various types of requests and documents. The fees help cover the cost of processing and storing the documents, and discourage unnecessary filings. Without filing fees, the government agencies would need to find other ways to cover these costs, which could result in higher taxes or reduced services.