The fees for filing federal lawsuits are going to increase dramatically next month in Pennsylvania and across the nation.
The fees for filing a civil lawsuit in any federal district court across the country will jump from $250 to $350 on April 9th. And the fee for filing appeals of federal cases in any of the nation's circuit courts will increase from $250 to $450.
The new fees were passed by Congress last year and a spokesman for the federal courts says they reflect Congress' tendency to fund the courts through user fees rather than appropriations.
Most critics in Pennsylvania say if court fees are too high, they will unfairly limit peoples' access to the courts to file legitimate lawsuits.
Reference:
"Fees For Filing Federal Lawsuits Will Go Up April 9," Oklahoma AP, March 2006.
