Court fee valuation: how suits are stamped in Pakistan

Every plaint, memorandum of appeal and vakalatnama carries court fee under the Court Fees Act 1870 and provincial amendments. Under-stamping gets the plaint returned for correction — or, worse, rejected when the deficiency is caught after limitation.

Ad valorem vs fixed

Money suits and most property-relief suits pay ad valorem on the valuation. Declaratory suits without consequential relief attract fixed fees in several schedules; where the relief is capable of valuation, ad valorem follows the value. The plaintiff's own valuation governs jurisdiction — but is open to challenge, and a false valuation is objectionable.

Practice points

Check the current provincial schedule — Punjab and Sindh differ. Stamp duty is separate from court fee; don't confuse them. The vakalatnama's stamps are cancelled by signature crossing, not affixation alone — counter clerks reject uncancelled stamps daily.

Where the valuation itself is litigated (e.g., suits framed to invoke a particular forum), expect the issue to be decided as a preliminary matter.