In Italy, the plaintiff, upon presentation of the libellus, pays a contribution of € 525.00. If the defendant appears before the court through a lawyer, he pays the sum of € 262.50.

The expenses for the lawyer are related to the fees and out-of-pocket expenses.

The fee covers the preliminary consultancy activity, assistance during the preliminary investigation and the drafting of deeds and defense briefs. Since each case has its own specificities, pursuant to the decree of the Italian Episcopal Conference of 3 December 2019, the fee can vary from a minimum of €1,600.00 to a maximum of €3,000.00.

Out-of-pocket expenses (transfers, production of evidentiary material, consultations with other experts) and tax charges (Cassa Procuratori e Avvocati at 4%, VAT at 22%) must be added to the fee.

The less well-off parties can ask the Court for a reduction or exemption from the payment of the judicial fee and also for the assignment of the court-appointed lawyer. It will be the Dean of the Panel of judges, after having acquired the elements necessary for the evaluation of the case, to decide on the matter.

Appeal cases before the Roman Rota, following the Rescript of Pope Francis of 7 December 2015, are totally free (with the assignment of a public defender), unless the party decides to be assisted by a freely chosen lawyer.