Statement of Legal Costs – Cost Claim, Legal Fees & Excel | Word/PDF

Litigation costs calculation – claim for costs, legal fees and Excel is a professional document package for Swedish dispositive civil cases. You get editable templates to specify which costs a party wants to be reimbursed for, substantiate legal fees and disbursements, assess simplified civil cases (FT cases) separately, and respond to the opposing party's claim for costs. The package contains 7 Word templates, 7 corresponding searchable PDF files, and an Excel register with nine tabs.

Important: According to Chapter 18, Section 14 of the Swedish Code of Judicial Procedure, a claim for costs must, as a general rule, be submitted before the proceedings are concluded, and the party must state what the costs consist of. An accounting entry or an Excel amount is not in itself a timely claim for costs. The templates cannot determine what the court will award.

Which cases is the package suitable for?

The package is intended for ordinary and simplified dispositive civil cases in Swedish courts. For ordinary cases, reasonable and necessary costs for the proceedings are central according to Chapter 18, Section 8 of the Swedish Code of Judicial Procedure. For simplified cases (small claims), however, a limited list of reimbursable items and special amount limits apply according to Chapter 18, Section 8 a. Criminal cases and non-dispositive cases may have different rules and are not included as general application cases.

Complete document list

Document	Use	Format
01. Claim for costs to the District Court	Letter with claimed items, amounts, legal basis, and justification for reasonableness	DOCX + PDF
02. Legal representative's fees and time	Work/time report with hourly rate, actions, and invoice basis	DOCX + PDF
03. Disbursements and enclosures	Application fees, travel, evidence, receipts, and document chain	DOCX + PDF
04. FT cost check	Special check of limited reimbursement categories in simplified civil cases	DOCX + PDF
05. Objection to claim for costs	Response to alleged costs, time, reasonableness, and lack of basis	DOCX + PDF
06. Swedish user guide	Step-by-step instructions for procedure, calculation, submission, and control	DOCX + PDF
07. User Guide EN	English user guide for the Swedish operational documents	DOCX + PDF
08. Excel register, nine tabs	Cases, fees, disbursements, FT check, claims, decisions, and events	XLSX

Excel register – nine tabs

Overview, Cases, Fees, Disbursements, FT check, Claims, Decisions, Events, and Read me. Follow actual cases, time reports, cost basis, and court decisions. Simple formula for the administrative base amount of the fees (hours × hourly rate), with separate status for review. All client registers are empty of test data.

Legal limitations: Excel does not calculate the legal level of reimbursement, procedural right to reimbursement, legal aid/legal protection conditions, VAT deduction, FT case advice caps, or whether a cost was reasonably incurred. The actual cost and the legal claim for costs may differ.

How to work with the claim for costs

1. Collect the court documents and check the correct case, current instance, and whether the case is being handled as an ordinary or simplified civil case.
2. Identify each actual cost with source documentation: invoice, time report, receipt, application fee, or evidence cost.
3. Explain why each claimed action was reasonably incurred to protect the party's rights, including the reasons for the legal representative's time.
4. Check for FT cases exactly which cost categories and amounts are permitted according to Chapter 18, Section 8 a. Do not use full legal representative fees as an automatic starting point.
5. Make an actual assessment of how VAT, legal protection, deduction, and any prior payments affect the claim.
6. Set up a precise claim in Word with separate items and enclosures. State the amounts and basis in the correct instance.
7. Submit and specify the claim before the proceedings are concluded according to Chapter 18, Section 14, unless a special exception applies. Follow the court's instructions and save proof of submission.
8. Fill in the court's actual decision in Excel afterwards. Never assume that a summary in the workbook is an amount the court has decided.

Legal basis for litigation costs

Chapter 18, Sections 1–5 – allocation of liability

One general rule is that the party who loses the case pays the opposing party's litigation costs, but the starting point may be affected by, among other things, partial success, unnecessary litigation, withdrawal, or settlement. The allocation of costs must therefore be assessed in the actual case.

Chapter 18, Section 8 – reasonable and incurred cost

In ordinary cases, not every actual expense is automatically reimbursable. The court assesses, among other things, whether costs for preparation, performance of the claim, legal representative, appearance, and evidence were reasonably incurred. The scope of the cost and its connection to the proceedings must be substantiated.

Chapter 18, Section 8 a – simplified civil case

In simplified civil cases, reimbursement is generally limited to expressly listed items, such as legal advice for one hour per instance within the applicable reimbursement framework, application fee, certain travel costs, and evidence costs. The exact amount limits must be checked for the relevant time and case. The Swedish Courts' guidance on civil cases describes the main difference.

Chapter 18, Section 14 – claim in time

A party that wants reimbursement must normally submit the claim for costs and state what it consists of before the proceedings are concluded. Trying to claim costs for the same instance afterwards may be excluded. The provision has limited exceptions for certain interest and one copy of the decision.

Frequently asked questions

When must I submit a cost calculation?

As a general rule, before the proceedings in the instance are concluded according to Chapter 18, Section 14 of the Swedish Code of Judicial Procedure. Check the actual stage and instructions of the court proceedings.

Can I claim the entire lawyer's invoice?

Not automatically. In ordinary cases, reasonableness and necessity are assessed, among other things. In simplified civil cases, the possibility of getting reimbursed for legal advice is particularly limited.

What is included in litigation costs in small claims?

Only certain cost categories according to Chapter 18, Section 8 a, with special limitations. Advice, fees, appearance, and certain evidence costs may be relevant, but everything must be checked against the legal rule.

How do I handle VAT on legal representative fees?

Assess whether the VAT is an actual cost for the party or if there is a right of deduction. Do not use a standard VAT handling in all cases.

Can I object to the opposing party's cost calculation?

Yes. The objections should specify which items and amounts are contested, on what actual and legal basis, and with what documentation.

Is the total sum of the Excel register the amount I get reimbursed for?

No. The overview is just an administrative summary of entered costs, claims, and verified decisions. The court determines the legal reimbursement.

Related document templates

See Business Agreements – Templates. This product can be used as a separate supplement to Mallbutikens templates for statement of claim, statement of defense, statement of counterclaim, withdrawal of claim, and appeal.

Version and legal source control

Version 1.0 · November 1, 2026 · Jurisdiction Sweden. Sources: Swedish Code of Judicial Procedure Chapter 18, Swedish Parliament and Swedish Courts – civil cases. AI-assisted source and file check, but no external independent legal review or guarantee of cost reimbursement is claimed. The documents must be adapted individually.