What kind of fees are there?
1) Attorney's fees
In Germany, 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), unless client and lawyer agree on a different fee such as a lump sum fee or an hourly fee. For more information, please click "What are your fees?"
2) Court fees
In litigation, court fees will apply. As with the attorney's fees the higher the claim or the value in question, the higher the court fee is. For instance, in order to file a complaint for 5.000,- EUR a court fee of 483,00 EUR has to be paid in advance, while for a claim of 1.000,- EUR the court fee is only 174,00 EUR. As well, fees for necessary experts or to reimburse witnesses for their costs may apply in a court case.
In court, Germany has a "Winner-takes-it-all"-rule in Private law with a few exceptions. That means, that the losing party has to reimburse the prevailing party for all costs incurred. For more information please see Suing and being sued in Germany.