lawyers` fees
We offer full transparency of our fee-policy. This, to prevent any kind of “fear” or “bad feelings” about potential cost risks on your side as one of our clients. Hence, we give you a brief introduction in our fee-policy. Remaining or further questions will be answered at any time by each of our attorneys.
Your advantage: transparency of our fees at any time
1. Consulting us as your lawyers leads to a contract – a lawyer-client-contract. Such a contract can be closed in any form: in a written form, via E-mail or orally. If the written form is chosen, this mitigates risks on both sides, especially for any kind of misunderstandings (Anwaltsvertrag). A written contract describes the scope of our tasks. Lacking the written form, the scope of our tasks follows from the issues raised by you as our client.
2. Additionally we use Standard Business Terms Allgemeinen Mandatsbedingungen, which form part of our lawyer-client-contract, no matter what form is used for it.
3. The lawyers` fees are regularly agreed in a separate contract – the remuneration agreement Vergütungsvereinbarung . If you only consult us for an one-off-advice, the fees are laid down in a special agreement for these occasions Vergütungsvereinbarung “Anwaltliche Erstberatung”. Our services have to paid by the client in any case; if no written remuneration agreement is concluded, the fees owed follow out of the statutory fee regulation (attorney remuneration law – Rechtsanwaltsvergütungsgesetz).
It is our aim to come to an appropriate compensation for our services rendered; from both perspectives: the client as well as our law firm. Criteria used to come to the “right” remuneration are: the time invested by the lawyer on the case at hand, the complexity of the case, the importance of the case for the client and the economical strength of the client. Also the risk of liability on our side will be measured. Contingency fees are admitted by the attorney remuneration act just in rare cases and hence don`t have a practical relevance. The following models are used for remuneration agreements with our clients:
Model 1: hourly rates
Most clients, especially business clients, prefer fees based on hourly rates. Our hourly rates range from 260,00 € to 350,00 € plus VAT (in Germany 19 %, but the applicable VAT-Law always depends on the case at hand and the location of the client). Time based billing normally charges in 10-minute-times. Time based billing can be more favourable for the client, compared with the statutory fees, especially in cases pursuing high economic values. Vice versa cases with a low economic meaning but a high personal meaning for the client can be more expensive on time basis.
Model 2: flat fee
Flat fees are also admitted by the Attorneys Remuneration Act and can be the appropriate fee tool in certain cases. Flat fees are for example used for legal opinions.
Model 3: Statutory fees – with or without modifications
The statutory legal fees usually are bound to the economic importance of the case at hand for the client – and his opponent, if any. The calculation of the fees according to the Attorney Remuneration Act is complicated; at least from the clients perspective.
Do you have a legal expense insurance?
A legal expense insurance can be useful and we take on the correspondence between the client and the legal insurer free of extra charge.