§ 152.006.Fee for Alternative Dispute Resolution Centers

The funding provision for the civil side of a county system.

The fee is set by the commissioners court, not by the center that collects it.

It must be reasonable, which is the statutory ceiling on the amount.

Both kinds of provider may collect. The section reaches an entity described by Section 152.002(a) or (b)(1) — the county’s own system, and a contractor administering it.

These centers run on modest money. Filing-fee allocations, county funds and service fees together keep the doors open, and this section supplies the last of the three.

Public control of the price is the safeguard. A forum meant for neighbors and tenants stops serving them if the fee climbs toward the cost of a lawyer.

Criminal matters have their own fee section. Section 152.007 sets a cap, protects victims from any charge, and ties the amount to ability to pay.

The fee is charged for services, not for filing. It is collected by the entity providing dispute resolution services rather than by the court.

Setting the amount publicly keeps it reviewable. A commissioners court that sets a fee does so in a public meeting, and the figure can be revisited the same way.

Access is the reason for the reasonableness limit. These centers exist to serve disputes too small for a lawsuit, and a high fee would defeat the purpose.