The cost of a lawsuit and access to justice in France.

Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights guarantees everyone access to a court. In France, the Constitutional Council bases the right to an effective remedy on article 16 of the 1789 Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen. In practice, the cost of a case limits that right. According to the French Ministry of Justice, 52% of French people consider legal costs too high (2024).

What a case costs.

Civil or commercial proceedings commonly absorb €30,000 to more than €300,000 in fees and costs. They last two to four years, sometimes longer. The cost is spread across several items.

• The lawyer’s fees, which vary with the complexity of the case and the number of hearings and appeals.
• Expert fees, when the judge orders a technical, accounting or medical assessment.
• Procedural costs, such as court registry fees, deposits and the acts of commissaires de justice, France’s judicial officers.
• Ancillary costs, such as sworn translations and travel.

Parties with unequal means.

Facing a bank, an insurer or a large group, an individual or a small business has limited means. The other side often has its own legal department and a budget set aside for disputes. It can make the proceedings last.

Someone who cannot fund long proceedings sometimes gives up, even with a sound case.

The limits of legal aid.

Legal aid (aide juridictionnelle) is the main public scheme for access to the courts. The State covers all or part of the legal costs of people with modest means, according to a scale.

It leaves two groups out. Households whose means exceed the scale are not eligible, even when they cannot pay for long proceedings. Businesses are excluded: only certain non‑profit legal entities can obtain it, on an exceptional basis (article 2 of the law of 10 July 1991).

Lawyers who take legal aid cases are paid a flat fee, according to a scale set by the State.

What litigation funding brings.

Litigation funding follows a different logic. The funder looks at the case: the strength of the law, the amount at stake, the solvency of the other side. The decision does not depend on the claimant’s income.

Hello Justice applies the following terms.

• The eligibility test and filing your case are free.
• If you apply for funding, the case analysis costs €1,500 excluding VAT (€1,800 including VAT), whatever the opinion. This fee does not apply to the Swiss franc loan programme.
• If the case is accepted, Hello Justice pays your lawyer’s fees set in the agreement.
• If the case succeeds, Hello Justice’s commission is 14 to 30% including VAT of the sums recovered, depending on the type of case.
• If the case fails, you repay nothing to Hello Justice.

The funder is paid only if the case succeeds. It therefore has an interest in accepting only sound cases and in following their progress.

The limits of funding.

Litigation funding does not replace legal aid. The two schemes serve different people.

It suits disputes whose stakes justify the cost of proceedings. Hello Justice reviews cases with at least €100,000 at stake. A specialised partner lawyer analyses the eligibility of each one, and not every case is accepted.

The commission also reduces the amount the client receives if the case succeeds. Its rate is set in the agreement, before any commitment.

The class action reform.

Law no. 2025-391 of 30 April 2025 reformed French class actions. A single procedure replaces the separate sector regimes, and it is open to every area of law. Eight courts have jurisdiction, the tribunaux judiciaires of Bordeaux, Lille, Lyon, Marseille, Nancy, Paris, Rennes and Fort‑de‑France (decree no. 2025-653 of 16 July 2025).

The same law allows third parties to fund these actions, subject to transparency rules. These texts could make possible actions that were too costly until now. Their effects remain to be seen.

For a dispute of at least €100,000, the eligibility test shows whether it fits what we fund. The mechanism is set out on the how it works page.