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Bill

A 5617

Eliminates court filing fees for individuals who are sued for consumer debt.

2024-2025 Regular Session Introduced by Shama Haider and 2 co-sponsors

New Jersey bill eliminates court filing fees for defendants sued in consumer debt cases, reducing financial barriers for low-income individuals defending against creditor lawsuits.

Introduced in the Assembly, Referred to Assembly Consumer Affairs Committee
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Bill Summary · A 5617

Legislative bill overview

Bill A 5617 would eliminate court filing fees for defendants in consumer debt litigation cases in New Jersey. This means individuals being sued by creditors or debt collectors would no longer pay fees to file their legal responses or counterclaims in court.

Why is this important

Consumer debt cases often involve low-income individuals who cannot afford expensive legal defense. Filing fees—typically $100-300+ per case—can create barriers to mounting a defense, potentially leading to default judgments against unrepresented defendants. Removing these costs could increase access to the court system for economically disadvantaged people facing debt claims.

Potential points of contention

  • Court funding impact: Filing fees generate revenue for court operations; eliminating them raises questions about whether the state would need to allocate alternative funding to maintain judicial services
  • Scope of applicability: Unclear whether the fee waiver would apply only to defendants or extend to counterclaims and other filings, and how it defines "consumer debt" (credit cards, medical debt, personal loans, etc.)
  • Creditor perspective: Debt collection and credit industries may argue that eliminating defendant fees creates imbalance, since plaintiffs/creditors still pay filing fees, potentially discouraging legitimate debt recovery claims

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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