FeesAccording to legal guidelines, fees for each particular matter must be calculated on the basis of scale fees for standard tasks. In civil law, these regulations mainly determine the lawyer’s fee according to the value of the matter in controversy. The underlying principle is that the lawyer’s fee comprises on the one hand the forecasted (not virtual) labour factor and on the other hand the lawyer’s
risk of liability. The German Chamber of Lawyers (Bundesrechtsanwaltskammer) provides further information on this topic. We are not allowed to give legal advice in a particular case without mandatory power and accompanying fee calculation according to the disciplinary code and competition law. If a lawyer answers a definite enquiry via e-mail or telephone, we charge the appropriate lawyer’s
fee. In order to avoid unwished lawyer’s fees, in your request you should state clearly that you wish to receive a costs estimate before getting legal advice. Thus, the decision on further action is up to you and you can avoid cost risks. If you request our advice concerning an out-of-court matter, we usually determine a fee on an hourly basis according to the amount of work done. For drafting contracts and legal advice we can also agree upon a fixed fee.
For regular mandates, which are not rare in our law firm, we offer alternative payment schemes, such as monthly and annual fixed fee payments. For instance, we charge a minimum fee of 180 € for the first legal consultation |