Employment law · Labour court · costs
What a French labour court claim costs, lawyer included
Since 1 March 2026, bringing a claim before the conseil de prud’hommes, the French labour court, costs a €50 legal-aid contribution, unless you receive legal aid (General Tax Code, article 1635 bis Q). You do not need a lawyer in France: a union defender (défenseur syndical) can represent you free of charge. A lawyer’s fees are freely agreed but must be set out in a written fee agreement, and a fee based only on the result is banned.
- €0 with legal aid
- Union defender: free
- Lawyer: written fee agreement
- Official texts cited
- Sources checked on
- Drafted with AI assistance, our method
General legal information with official references and dated checks. It is not personalised advice: for a decision that commits you, have your situation checked by a qualified professional.
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What happens if you forget to pay the €50 contribution when you file?
If you forget to pay the €50 contribution when filing at the French labour court, your claim is not rejected at once: the court office must first invite you to pay, and you have one month from that request. After that the claim is inadmissible and you must file again. The stamp can only be bought online.
Read the referencesYou are weighing the cost of a French labour court claim: I can add up the €50 contribution, your lawyer’s quoted fees and what you might recover at the end.
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What will you pay in total to bring a claim at the French labour court?
Bringing a claim at the French labour court (conseil de prud’hommes) costs at least a €50 legal-aid contribution (contribution pour l’aide juridique), unless you receive legal aid (aide juridictionnelle), and nothing more if you act alone or with a union defender. Article 1635 bis Q of the General Tax Code (Code général des impôts) charges this contribution once per set of proceedings, to the person who files. According to service-public.fr (2026), it is paid online only, as an electronic tax stamp, since 1 March 2026.
The real cost is a lawyer, and a lawyer is not compulsory before the labour court. Fees are freely agreed but must be set out in a written fee agreement (convention d’honoraires). At the end, the judge may order the losing side to pay the recoverable court costs (dépens) and a contribution to the winner’s legal fees under article 700 of the Code of Civil Procedure. That is the judge’s decision, not an automatic refund.
- Contribution: €50 per set of proceedings, €0 with legal aid
- Union defender (défenseur syndical): free
- Lawyer: fees set in your written fee agreement
Code général des impôts : article 1635 bis QSaisir le conseil de prud’hommes (CPH), service-public.fr page F2360 (in French)Loi n° 71-1130 du 31 décembre 1971 : article 10Code de procédure civile : article 700
How much will your claim cost, lawyer included?
Choose who will represent you, say whether you have legal aid and, for a lawyer, enter the figures from the quote or fee agreement. The worksheet adds up what you will pay and lists what may come back at the end, without predicting any amount or the outcome.
Fictional example · The cost of your claim
Lawyer you pay: article 10 of the Law of 31 December 1971 requires a written fee agreement. Check that it states the flat fee or hourly rate, any result-based supplement and expenses, then add the €50 contribution unless you have legal aid.
- Legal-aid contribution
- €50.00
- Estimated hours × hourly rate
- €900.00
- Fixed fees (flat fee + hours)
- €2,100.00
- Result-based supplement in your assumption
- €800.00
- Total lawyer’s fees
- €2,900.00, plus the contribution shown above
- 2026 legal-aid bands, single person
- full aid up to €12,957 reference tax income; 55% from €12,958 to €15,316; 25% from €15,317 to €19,433
- What may come back at the end
- dépens and an article 700 award, set by the judge: no amount can be predicted
- Ask for a written fee agreement and check that it states the flat fee, hourly rate and any result-based supplement (total before the supplement: €2,100.00).
- Check your legal-aid eligibility with the simulator on service-public.fr before paying anything.
- Pay the €50 electronic tax stamp online when you file, unless you have legal aid.
- Keep invoices and receipts: you will need them to ask for an article 700 award if you win.
The worksheet adds up your own figures and points to the rules. It does not predict the outcome or the sums the judge will award.
What does article 1635 bis Q of the French General Tax Code say?
I. - Une contribution pour l'aide juridique de 50 euros est perçue par instance introduite en matière civile et prud'homale devant un tribunal judiciaire ou un conseil de prud'hommes.
II. - La contribution pour l'aide juridique est due par la partie qui introduit l'instance.
III. - Toutefois, la contribution pour l'aide juridique n'est pas due :
1° Par les personnes bénéficiaires de l'aide juridictionnelle ;
[…]
IV. - La contribution est due lors de l'introduction de l'instance. Elle est acquittée par voie électronique dans les conditions prévues au chapitre II du titre IV de la première partie du livre Ier du présent code.
[…]
Aucune irrecevabilité ne peut être prononcée sans invitation préalable du justiciable à régulariser la contribution à l'aide juridique, dans un délai d'un mois à compter de la demande formulée par le greffe.
In plain English: The person who files a claim at the labour court pays €50 per set of proceedings, online, when filing. People receiving legal aid are exempt. If the contribution is missing, the court office must first invite you to pay it within one month before the claim can be declared inadmissible.
The contribution is due only once when the same proceedings give rise to several successive procedures before the same court.
How do French employment lawyers set their fees?
French employment lawyers set their fees freely, by agreement with you, in a written fee agreement that states the amount or the method of calculation and the expected expenses (Law of 31 December 1971, article 10). No written agreement is required in an emergency, in a case of force majeure or under full legal aid.
By custom, the fee reflects your means, the difficulty of the case, the lawyer’s expenses and reputation, and the work done. In practice the agreement sets a flat fee, an hourly rate times a number of hours, or both. A fee based only on the outcome is banned; a result-based supplement (honoraire de résultat) on top of a fee for the work is allowed.
No official scale sets the price of a labour court case. Compare written quotes on the same basis: flat fee or hours, result percentage, VAT and expenses.
Who can represent you for free before the conseil de prud’hommes?
A union defender (défenseur syndical) can assist or represent you free of charge before the labour court and the court of appeal. Defenders are listed regionally by the administration, on the proposal of unions and employers’ organisations, and the Labour Code (Code du travail) states that they act free of charge (articles L1453-4 and D1453-2-1).
You may also be represented by an employee from the same business sector, or by your spouse, civil partner (partenaire de Pacs) or cohabiting partner (article R1453-2). A representative who is not a lawyer needs a written authority that also allows them to settle on your behalf at the conciliation stage.
Finally, a lawyer may act under legal aid if they agree to. According to service-public.fr (2026), full legal aid is open to a single person whose reference tax income (revenu fiscal de référence) does not exceed €12,957.
Code du travail : article L1453-4Code du travail : article D1453-2-1Code du travail : article R1453-2Saisir le conseil de prud’hommes (CPH), service-public.fr page F2360 (in French)Aide juridictionnelle, service-public.fr page F18074 (in French)
Alone, union defender or lawyer: who pays what?
| Who represents you | What you pay | What may be recovered | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nobody (you act alone) | €50 contribution, unless you have legal aid | Dépens, and an article 700 award for your actual costs if the judge grants one | General Tax Code, art. 1635 bis Q; Code of Civil Procedure, art. 700 |
| Union defender | €50 contribution, unless you have legal aid; representation free | Dépens, and an article 700 award if the judge grants one | Labour Code, art. L1453-4 and D1453-2-1 |
| Employee from the same sector, or partner | €50 contribution, unless you have legal aid; written authority needed | Dépens, and an article 700 award if the judge grants one | Labour Code, art. R1453-2 |
| Lawyer you pay | €50 plus the fees in the written agreement | Part of the fees through an article 700 award set by the judge | Law of 31 December 1971, art. 10; Code of Civil Procedure, art. 700 |
| Lawyer under full legal aid | No contribution and no fees | The judge may award a sum to your lawyer under article 700 | General Tax Code, art. 1635 bis Q; Code of Civil Procedure, art. 700 |
| Lawyer paid by legal-expenses insurance | €50 and any fees above the policy limit | Dépens, and an article 700 award if the judge grants one | Insurance Code, art. L127-3 |
If you lose, the dépens and an article 700 award may be charged to you (Code of Civil Procedure, articles 696 and 700).
Code général des impôts : article 1635 bis QCode du travail : article L1453-4Code du travail : article D1453-2-1Code du travail : article R1453-2Loi n° 71-1130 du 31 décembre 1971 : article 10Code de procédure civile : article 700Code de procédure civile : article 696Code des assurances : article L127-3
Which figures set the cost of a French labour court claim?
These figures are set by law and by service-public.fr for 2026; there is no official scale for lawyers’ fees.
- Legal-aid contribution per set of proceedings before the labour court
- €50
- since 1 March 2026 · Service-public.fr, Saisir le conseil de prud’hommes (F2360)
- Time to pay a missing contribution before the claim becomes inadmissible
- 1 month
- version in force since 1 July 2026 · General Tax Code (Code général des impôts), article 1635 bis Q
- Maximum reference tax income for full legal aid, single person
- €12,957
- 2026 · Service-public.fr, Aide juridictionnelle (F18074)
- Partial legal aid at 55%, single person (reference tax income)
- €12,958 to €15,316
- 2026 · Service-public.fr, Aide juridictionnelle (F18074)
- Partial legal aid at 25%, single person (reference tax income)
- €15,317 to €19,433
- 2026 · Service-public.fr, Aide juridictionnelle (F18074)
Can you recover your lawyer’s fees if you win?
If you win, you can recover part of your lawyer’s fees, but only the sum the judge awards you under article 700 of the Code of Civil Procedure (Code de procédure civile). The judge sets it freely, taking into account fairness and the economic situation of the employer ordered to pay, and may decide to award nothing.
Your lawyer’s agreed fees are not part of the recoverable court costs (dépens). Article 695 limits these to court duties and taxes, witness, expert and court officer costs, and only the regulated part of lawyers’ pay. That is why article 700 exists: it covers costs « not included in the dépens ».
Ask for it expressly and produce evidence: fee agreement, invoices, expense notes. Budget for the claim without counting on full reimbursement.
Code de procédure civile : article 700Code de procédure civile : article 695
What could you have to pay if you lose your claim?
If you lose, you normally bear the recoverable court costs (dépens), and the judge may order you to pay the employer a sum under article 700 towards its legal fees. Article 696 of the Code of Civil Procedure places the dépens on the losing party, unless the judge gives reasons for sharing them differently.
For article 700, the judge takes fairness and your economic situation into account and may refuse any award, even of its own motion. If you receive legal aid, the Law of 10 July 1991 sets the conditions under which costs may still be left to you.
Whatever the outcome, your own lawyer’s fees remain due under your fee agreement, except a result-based supplement agreed only for a win.
Code de procédure civile : article 696Code de procédure civile : article 700Loi n° 71-1130 du 31 décembre 1971 : article 10
What else do people ask about French labour court costs?
What happens if you forget to pay the €50 contribution when you file?
If you forget to pay the €50 contribution when filing at the French labour court, your claim is not rejected at once: the court office must first invite you to pay, and you have one month from that request. After that the claim is inadmissible and you must file again. The stamp can only be bought online.
Code général des impôts : article 1635 bis QSaisir le conseil de prud’hommes (CPH), service-public.fr page F2360 (in French)
Can a French lawyer work on a no-win, no-fee basis?
No, a French lawyer cannot work on a pure no-win, no-fee basis: article 10 of the Law of 31 December 1971 bans fees set only by reference to the outcome. It does allow a result-based supplement on top of a fee for the work done, agreed in the written fee agreement.
Does legal-expenses insurance cover a French employment dispute?
Legal-expenses insurance can pay the lawyer in a French employment dispute if the policy covers employment matters, up to its limits. Article L127-3 of the Insurance Code lets you choose your own lawyer. According to service-public.fr, legal aid is refused when such insurance already covers the costs of the case.
Code des assurances : article L127-3Aide juridictionnelle, service-public.fr page F18074 (in French)
Is the €50 contribution refunded if you win?
The €50 contribution is not refunded by the State if you win. However, recoverable court costs (dépens) include duties and taxes collected by the tax administration (Code of Civil Procedure, article 695), and the judge normally charges them to the losing party (article 696). Ask for this in your written submissions.
Code de procédure civile : article 695Code de procédure civile : article 696
How does a Swiss labour court claim compare on cost?
A Swiss labour court claim carries no court fees up to CHF 30,000 in dispute, at conciliation and on the merits (Swiss Civil Procedure Code, articles 113 and 114). That exemption does not cover the other side’s legal costs on the merits, which the loser generally bears (article 106). In Geneva, the procedure is free up to CHF 75,000.
Swiss Civil Procedure Code (CPC), art. 113 (in French)Swiss Civil Procedure Code (CPC), art. 114 (in French)Swiss Civil Procedure Code (CPC), art. 106 (in French)Labour law dispute, Geneva judiciary
Which official texts set these costs and rules?
- Code général des impôts : article 1635 bis QFrench Republic / DILA: Légifrance
- Saisir le conseil de prud’hommes (CPH), service-public.fr page F2360 (in French)French Republic / DILA: Service-public.fr
- Loi n° 71-1130 du 31 décembre 1971 : article 10French Republic / DILA: Légifrance
- Code du travail : article L1453-4French Republic / DILA: Légifrance
- Code du travail : article D1453-2-1French Republic / DILA: Légifrance
- Code du travail : article R1453-2French Republic / DILA: Légifrance
- Aide juridictionnelle, service-public.fr page F18074 (in French)French Republic / DILA: Service-public.fr
- Code de procédure civile : article 695French Republic / DILA: Légifrance
- Code de procédure civile : article 696French Republic / DILA: Légifrance
- Code de procédure civile : article 700French Republic / DILA: Légifrance
- Code des assurances : article L127-3French Republic / DILA: Légifrance
- Swiss Civil Procedure Code (CPC), art. 113 (in French)Swiss Confederation: Fedlex
- Swiss Civil Procedure Code (CPC), art. 114 (in French)Swiss Confederation: Fedlex
- Swiss Civil Procedure Code (CPC), art. 106 (in French)Swiss Confederation: Fedlex
- Labour law dispute, Geneva judiciaryRepublic and Canton of Geneva: Pouvoir judiciaire
Texts cited last checked: 30 October 2026