Legal advice and legal information are subject to lawyer fees – may be just a quick telephone call or answer on an inquiry by e- mail. Please note that asking about your case on our first encounter serves to make a fee estimation for a broadbrush initial consulantion and submit you a respective offer in the following. If we do not make an agreement the provisions of the German Lawyers’ Remuneration Act shall apply according to which the fee for a one-time initial consultation is 190 € excl. VAT and charges at maximum.

Prior to the consultation we advise you to contact your to apply for a so-called cost of cover letter at your legal expenses insurance. Even if German insurers are obliged pay the fees for an initial consulation their contractual terms often stipulate a co-payment of the insured individual of 150 € or in specific legal fields the insurance coverage may be excluded at all. However, insurance companies frequently show goodwill. Therefore, it is always advisable to ask the insurance company in advance and let me know about their decision.

If you decide after the consultation to entrust your case to us for further treatment our fees for the consultation will generally not be charged separately or if such fees have already been paid the amount will be deducted from the additional legal costs. The lawyer fees are basically billed pursuant the statutory remuneration tables and regulations in the German Lawyer Fee Act . These are based on the object value but the nature of the matter, the extent and difficulty of my activity are relevant factors.

If the range of my input seems clear at the beginning do not hesitate to bring a flat fee into the discussion. This mode of billing may be suitable if the review of a definable legal issue or the keeping of a measurable amount of professionally uncomplicated out-of court correspondence is subject of my mandate, or if you wish to entrust me with the handling of a certain number of similar cases (e.g. debt collection).
Billing on the basis of an hourly rate may be an alternative for invoicing my extra-judicial activities, too. In the business field, this mode of renumeration is more common than for private clients.

Contingency fees are allowed in Germany only in very exceptional cases. A settlement on this basis can be considered if the risk of litigation costs is disproportional to the claimants financial circumstances and if the claimant would be barred for this reason off asserting his legal rights. However, impecunious clients who live in Germany however are entitled to state legal aid.

Foreign clients seeking legal representation for law suits in Germany should always be aware that apart from labour disputes at the courts of the first instance the loosing party is always liable for the costs resulting of a law suit. Such costs include the court fees and a reimbursement of the counterparty´s lawyer fees. The costs among the parties in court settlements usually reflect the proportion of winning/ loosing as indicated by the judge. Since in the event of loosing law suits are not up for free for the claimant we check the chances thoruoghly and may also advise against taking legal action.

Money claims for considerable amounts implying both high chances of success and a high creditworthiness of the counterparty can be subject of a litigation funding by an insurance company. In contrast to a contingency fee this insurance covers the entire financial risk of the law suit, including the legal fees of the counterparty and the court fees. Here, I am also at your service.