What is your unpaid claim actually worth after the lawsuit?
A $200,000 claim rarely puts $200,000 in your account. Enter a few details about your dispute and compare what you’d likely take home, when you’d get it, and what you’d lose if the case goes badly, whether you fund the case yourself, use Darkwell funding, or sell the claim for cash.
Your estimated take-home
- You keep
- Lawyer fees
- Court & expert costs
- Funder or buyer share
- Lost to risk & collection
How this lawsuit cost calculator works
The calculator estimates attorney hours, court and expert costs, and time to resolution based on the size of your claim and how contested it’s likely to be. The default lawyer rate of $375 an hour is based on Clio’s 2025 Legal Trends data ($373 an hour for contract matters, $461 for corporate litigation). It then discounts the claim for two risks every plaintiff carries: the chance of losing, and the chance that a judgment can’t be fully collected.
Each bar shows where the face value of your claim goes. The light gold portion is what you keep. Everything else is fees, costs, someone else’s share, or value lost to risk.
Claims this calculator covers
Construction claims, including unpaid subcontractors and suppliers, contractors not paid by owners, mechanic’s liens, retainage, change order disputes, payment bond and Miller Act claims, and construction defects. Business claims, including unpaid invoices, consulting and professional services, breach of contract, telecom and broadband contracts, commercial rent, promissory notes, personal guarantees, equipment leases, royalties, franchise disputes, partnership and LLC member disputes, and fraud. It also covers insurance claim denials, business property damage, real estate contract disputes, arbitration awards, and court judgments you’ve already won but haven’t collected.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to sue someone for an unpaid invoice?
Small claims court can cost a few hundred dollars in filing and service fees. A contested commercial case in general-jurisdiction court commonly runs tens of thousands of dollars in attorney fees and costs, and complex cases can exceed six figures.
What does it mean to sell a legal claim?
A buyer pays you cash now for the right to pursue and collect the claim. You give up part of the upside and the risk of losing or not collecting, but you may still need to cooperate as a witness or with documents. Darkwell buys claims only in select cases and where state law allows.
What is the difference between litigation funding and a claim sale?
Litigation funding pays for your lawyers and costs while you keep the case, and the funder is repaid from any recovery. In a claim sale you receive cash up front and the buyer takes on the claim’s cost and risk.
How long does a commercial lawsuit take?
Small claims matters can resolve in a few months. Contested commercial or construction cases often take one to three years to reach judgment, and collecting the judgment can take longer.
Can I recover my attorney fees if I win?
Usually only if your contract has an attorney-fee clause or a statute allows it, such as some mechanic’s lien and prompt-payment laws. Even then, courts often award less than the full amount spent.
These figures are general estimates for educational purposes, based on typical ranges and the answers you provide. They are not legal advice, a guarantee of any outcome, or an offer to purchase or fund any claim. Actual costs, timelines, and any offer from Darkwell Capital LLC depend on a review of your documents and the laws of your jurisdiction. Consult a licensed attorney about your specific situation. Darkwell reviews claims of $10,000 or more, subject to review and approval by our team; IP claims start at $30,000, and commercial funding focuses on claims of $100,000 or more. We fund claims in many U.S. states, reviewed state by state; cash purchases are for business claims only, and claims from individuals are reviewed Colorado first. Darkwell does not buy or collect consumer debt in states that require a collection license, including Colorado. Your case moves forward with an attorney from our network, or your current attorney where it fits.