We will explain to you comprehensively and comprehensibly about the amount of the fee incurred for our work right from the start.
The remuneration for legal services has been regulated in the Lawyers’ Fees Act (RVG) since July 1, 2004. According to this, the fee for the judicial and extrajudicial work of the lawyer is determined.
For most disputes (labour, tax, administrative and civil law), the fees are generally calculated as a percentage of the so-called object value, i.e. the value of the object of the legal activity, e.g. the amount of damage in a traffic accident.
The object value is initially only a fictitious amount. This is the basis for the assessment of fees based on § 13 of the Lawyers’ Fees Act (RVG) or the annex issued to it, whereby the specific fee rate (=multiplier) is then determined on the basis of the list of fees for the RVG.
If the value of the object is, for example, EUR 3,000, you do not have to pay around EUR 3,000, but the legal fees are determined on the basis of § 13 RVG and the list of remuneration for the RVG. If the lawyer works outside of court, these usually amount to EUR 362.73 (incl. additional costs + VAT).
The fees decrease as a percentage of the value of the item, i.e. they are degressively staggered. If the fees in the present example for an item value of 3,000 euros total 363.73 euros, the fees for four times the item value of 12,000 euros are not even triple that, a total of 1054.10 euros.
In criminal and social law disputes, the fees are usually determined by the lawyer at his or her reasonable discretion on the basis of so-called framework fees [the law specifies a framework: from …€ to …€]. In these cases in particular, we will propose a remuneration agreement to you.
Cost overview before taking on the mandate
We will discuss these with you so that you can get an overview of the expected costs for legal advice and representation, as well as any court costs, before the mandate is transferred. In the event of a legal dispute, we will also weigh up the litigation risk with you so that you can calculate the court and attorney’s fees from an economic point of view.
This also applies in particular to pure consulting work, for which remuneration has no longer been regulated by law since July 1st, 2006. For consumers, however, the initial consultation fee is still limited to a maximum of €190.00 and to €250.00 for advice that goes beyond this.
bear the costs
Even if you, as the client, are initially always the debtor for the legal fee yourself, there are some possibilities for third parties to assume the costs.
- Legal protection insurance is becoming increasingly popular. More on this …
- In some cases, your opponent will be required to pay your legal fees. For example, in the event of default with his performance obligation, your opponent is also obliged to bear your attorney’s fees as necessary costs of legal prosecution.
- After a traffic accident, the other party involved in the accident or their liability insurance must bear your legal costs to the extent of the justified claims. More on this …
- In the case of larger amounts in dispute, there is the possibility of engaging a litigation financier in order to finance promising legal disputes in the lawsuit, which in return receives part of the disputed sum in the event of victory. We work with some litigation funders and may have such an application reviewed for you.
- In the event of legal disputes, low-income people can apply for legal aid from the trial court. More on this …
- For people with particularly low incomes, there is the possibility of applying for a counseling aid certificate from the competent local court for out-of-court legal advice and activities of the lawyer. More on this …
Examples of legal fees
The activity of the lawyer is determined on the basis of the Lawyers’ Fees Act and the fee schedule issued for it. Here are examples of legal fees in some common legal disputes. On request, we will be happy to tell you in advance by telephone or email what costs are to be expected in your legal dispute.
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