Class Action Settlement Calculator

Reviewed by Mesa Thornton (MT), Editor-in-Chief — Class Action & Complex Litigation Practice. Updated May 2026.

Class action settlements distribute funds to thousands or millions of class members according to a plan of allocation approved by the court. Individual payouts depend on total settlement size, class size, the allocation formula, claim type, and whether you are a named class representative. This calculator provides a rough estimate of individual recovery based on published class action settlement administration data.

Run the estimate

Total settlement amount (USD) Estimated class size (number of members) Claim type / allocation method Equal distribution (flat per-member payment) Pro-rata by individual harm (proportional) Tiered — high-harm subclass Coupon or voucher settlement Are you a named plaintiff / class representative? No — ordinary class member Yes — named plaintiff seeking incentive award Expected claims filing rate (%) Estimate my share

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How class action distributions work

Courts approve a plan of allocation specifying how the net settlement fund (after attorneys’ fees, costs, and administration) is divided. Common approaches: equal shares per claiming member, pro-rata based on documented individual harm, tiered payments based on injury severity, and — in some consumer cases — cy pres distributions to charities when individual claims are too small to process economically.

Attorney fees typically consume 25–33% of the fund. Administration costs (notice, claims processing) add 5–15%. Named plaintiffs may receive incentive awards of $5,000–$25,000 for their role in representing the class. See the full methodology for how each input maps to a share estimate.

Why claims rates matter so much

Most class action settlements see claims rates of 1–10% for consumer cases. When fewer members file claims, the net fund is divided among fewer claimants — each share grows. A 5% claims rate on a 50,000-member class means roughly 2,500 claimants sharing the net fund. Securities cases typically have much higher claims rates (30–60%) because institutional investors file systematically.

If you received a class action notice, filing a claim is almost always the right decision — the cost is minimal and the upside is a real payment. Missing the claims deadline forfeits your share.

Where to learn more

See how class action settlements work, types of class action cases, filing a class action claim, and common class action misconceptions. The FAQ covers opt-outs, taxes, cy pres, and coupon settlements in detail.