A straightforward injunction generally costs between $5,000 and $25,000, while complex commercial disputes can push the total well into six figures. Attorney fees are the dominant expense in nearly every case, dwarfing filing fees and administrative charges. So when you ask how much an injunction costs, the honest answer depends on three things: what kind of injunction you need, how far the case goes, and the hourly rate of the lawyer handling it.
What Kind of Injunction Are You Seeking
Injunctive relief comes in three forms, and each stage builds on the last. Costs accumulate as a case progresses from emergency relief to a final order.
A temporary restraining order is the fastest and cheapest form. A TRO can be granted without notifying the opposing party, but only when the applicant shows through specific facts that immediate and irreparable injury will result before the other side can respond, and the applicant’s attorney certifies in writing what efforts were made to provide notice.1Legal Information Institute. Federal Rules of Civil Procedure Rule 65 – Injunctions and Restraining Orders A TRO expires within 14 days unless extended, so the legal work is concentrated into a short, intense burst. Attorney fees for a TRO alone commonly run $5,000 to $15,000.
A preliminary injunction keeps protection in place while the case moves forward. It requires a full hearing with evidence and argument from both sides. Preparing for that hearing adds significant attorney time, and the total cost, combined with the initial TRO work, often reaches $10,000 to $30,000 or more.
A permanent injunction is granted only after a full trial on the merits. The case goes through discovery, expert testimony, and trial preparation. Total costs can range from $25,000 for simpler disputes to $100,000 or more in complex commercial litigation.
Attorney Fees Are the Main Cost
Litigation attorneys in 2026 typically charge between $200 and $600 per hour depending on experience, location, and complexity. Junior attorneys handling less complex matters may bill $100 to $250 per hour. Experienced litigators in major markets like Washington, D.C. or New York routinely charge $400 to $600 or more, and elite litigators at top firms handling high-stakes commercial disputes can bill $800 per hour and up.
Hours add up quickly. Drafting a TRO application involves legal research, preparing affidavits, writing the motion and supporting brief, and often appearing in court on very short notice. That alone can take 20 to 40 hours. If the case advances to a preliminary injunction hearing, your attorney will spend additional time preparing witnesses, reviewing evidence, and arguing the motion. A case that goes all the way to trial for a permanent injunction can consume hundreds of billable hours.
Most litigation attorneys require an upfront retainer, a deposit held in a trust account from which hourly fees are drawn as work is performed. Retainers for injunction cases commonly range from $2,000 to $10,000 depending on the expected scope of work, and you’ll be asked to replenish the retainer as it runs low. Self-representation is legally permitted, but injunction cases involve procedural rules and evidentiary standards that are difficult to navigate without legal training, especially when the other side has a lawyer.
Court Filing Fees
Filing fees are the most predictable part of the cost and usually the smallest. In federal district court, the filing fee for a civil case is $405.2United States District Court for the District of Columbia. Fee Schedule State court filing fees vary widely, from under $100 to several hundred dollars depending on the jurisdiction and the type of case. Smaller administrative charges, like certified copies and motion fees, add up but rarely drive the overall cost.3United States Courts. U.S. Court of Federal Claims Fee Schedule
Two exceptions matter. First, domestic violence protective orders carry no filing fee in virtually every state. State legislatures have specifically prohibited courts from charging filing, service, or issuance fees for protection orders, so cost should not be a barrier to filing one. Second, people who cannot afford federal filing fees may qualify to proceed in forma pauperis by filing an affidavit demonstrating financial inability, which waives the upfront filing fee.
The Security Bond You May Have to Post
Before issuing a TRO or preliminary injunction, a court may require you to post a security bond. The bond exists to protect the other side: if the injunction turns out to have been wrongfully granted, the bond provides a fund to compensate the restrained party for any losses suffered while the injunction was in effect.1Legal Information Institute. Federal Rules of Civil Procedure Rule 65 – Injunctions and Restraining Orders
The court sets the bond amount based on the potential damages the other side could suffer if wrongfully restrained. You don’t pay the full amount out of pocket. Instead, you purchase the bond from a surety company and pay a premium that typically runs 1% to 10% of the total bond. A $50,000 bond might cost $500 to $5,000 in premiums, and your credit history and financial standing affect where you fall in that range.
The federal government, its officers, and its agencies are exempt from the bond requirement entirely.1Legal Information Institute. Federal Rules of Civil Procedure Rule 65 – Injunctions and Restraining Orders Some courts also have discretion to set a nominal bond or waive the requirement for parties who demonstrate they cannot afford it, though this varies by jurisdiction. Failing to post a required bond can prevent the injunction from taking effect, so plan for this cost early.
Other Litigation Expenses
A range of practical expenses can add up around the attorney fees.
Service of Process
The opposing party must be formally served with the injunction complaint and summons. Private process servers typically charge $20 to $170 for standard service, with expedited or difficult service adding $25 to $75 more.4Legal Information Institute. Federal Rules of Civil Procedure Rule 4 – Summons
Depositions and Transcripts
If the case reaches discovery, deposition costs climb quickly. Court reporters charge roughly $4.50 to $7.00 per page for standard transcripts, plus an appearance fee of $150 to $400. A single deposition can easily produce 100 to 300 pages, putting the transcript cost for one witness at $450 to $2,100 before the appearance fee. Expedited same-day or next-day delivery typically adds 50% to 100% to the per-page cost, and video recording adds another $250 to $600 per deposition.
Expert Witnesses
When specialized knowledge is needed, expert witnesses can become the second-largest expense after attorney fees. Financial and accounting experts typically charge $300 to $700 per hour. Engineering and technical experts range from $250 to $600 per hour. Medical experts command higher rates, with board-certified physicians generally billing $350 to $900 per hour for record review and preparation, and surgical specialists often exceeding $1,000 per hour for trial testimony. These fees cover time reviewing records, preparing reports, sitting for depositions, and testifying.
What You Can Recover If You Win
Prevailing in the case lets you recover some of what you spent, but not all of it. Federal courts generally award taxable costs to the winning party, including clerk and marshal fees, transcript fees for depositions used in the case, witness fees, and copying costs for materials necessarily obtained for the case.5GovInfo. 28 USC 1920 – Taxation of Costs The losing party pays these costs unless the court orders otherwise.6Legal Information Institute. Federal Rules of Civil Procedure Rule 54 – Judgment; Costs
Recovering attorney fees is much harder. Under the American Rule, each side pays its own attorney fees unless a specific statute says otherwise. Civil rights cases are one notable exception, where the court may award reasonable attorney fees to the prevailing party.7Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 42 USC 1988 – Proceedings in Vindication of Civil Rights Certain other federal statutes, contractual provisions, and state laws also allow fee-shifting. If your case falls under one of those categories, the potential recovery significantly changes the cost calculus, so ask your attorney at the outset whether any fee-shifting provision applies.
Watch the deadline. A motion for attorney fees must be filed within 14 days after judgment is entered, and missing it forfeits the recovery regardless of how strong your case was.6Legal Information Institute. Federal Rules of Civil Procedure Rule 54 – Judgment; Costs
Can You Deduct Injunction Costs on Your Taxes
Deductibility depends on why you sought the injunction. Legal fees that are ordinary and necessary expenses of running a trade or business are deductible as business expenses.8Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 USC 162 – Trade or Business Expenses A business owner seeking an injunction to enforce a non-compete agreement or stop trade secret misappropriation, for example, can generally deduct those costs.
The IRS applies an origin-of-the-claim test, looking at what gave rise to the dispute rather than what the legal action’s consequences might be. If the dispute originated from your business operations, the fees are deductible. If the dispute is personal, the fees generally are not deductible for individuals under current tax law.