What are your fees?
1.) Initial consultation fee
For information on initial consultation fees please click here .
2.) Agreed lump sum fees
Especially in IP and file sharing cases I offer my clients a lump sum fee for out-of-court representation.
For out-of-court representation in file sharing cases there is fixed lump sum fee, depending on the claim brought forward against you per case. For more information on rates in filesharing cases please click here.
3. ) Agreed hourly fees
Instead of lump sum fees, an hourly fee can be agreed upon.
4.) Agreed contingency fee
Contingency fees were illegal in Germany until 2008. Since 2008 they are possible, but only under rather strict conditions.
5.) Legal Aid
You may apply for legal aid to assist you with lawyer fees for both out-of-court and in-court procedure, if your income is below a certain threshold. I happy to answer questions on the possibility to apply for legal aid. Legal Aid is not restricted to German citizens. Anybody can apply for it.
6.) Fees according to German law regulating attorney's fees (Rechtsanwaltsvergütungsgesetz)
The attorney's fees are regulated by federal law (the Rechtsanwaltsvergütungsgesetz) and are calculated based upon the value in question or dispute value (German: Streitwert), if none of the examples 1.) through 5.) apply. These are always lump sum fees and are payable at certain stages of the legal proceedings.
The 1,3 Geschäftsgebühr is the regular fee for the out-of-court representation and covers the out-of-court representation in an average case with average difficulty and expenditure of time. Additionally, an out-of-court settlement fee (the socalled "1,5 Einigungsgebühr") may accrue. 19 % VAT have to be added to all fees.
Examples of fees according to the Rechtsanwaltsvergütungsgesetz in Private law are:
aa) A claim is worth 490,- EUR. To hire a lawyer for out-of-court representation the lump sum fee is 76,44 EUR + 19 % VAT. If an out-of-court-settlement is reached, an additional one time fee of 73,50 EUR + 19 % VAT may apply.
bb) If a claim is worth 2.800,- EUR, the out-of-court representation fee is 308,60 EUR + 19 % VAT and the out-of-court-settlement fee is 333,00 EUR + 19 % VAT.
cc) A claim is worth 2.800,- EUR. To hire a lawyer for in-court representation at the first level court the fee is 575,00 EUR + 19 % VAT. This is again a lump sum, that covers the entire procedure of the first instance incl. court hearings. If a settlement is reached, an additional one time fee of 222,00 EUR + 19 % VAT may apply.
dd) A claim is worth 10.000,- EUR. To hire a lawyer for in-court representation at the first level court the lump sum fee is 1.555,00 EUR + 19 % VAT. In case of a settlement an additional one time fee of 614,00 EUR + 19 % VAT may apply.
Fees apply to defendants and plaintiffs alike.