What you didn’t know about a lawyer’s fees
How much does a lawyer charge?
Answering the question of what a lawyer’s fee is is not a simple matter. Each lawyer has a fee depending on the subject type, subject matter and degree of specialization. They also put a price on their fees depending on the way they provide the services. We could say that there are different ways to charge them. Anyway, the client is finally the one who agrees with the professional the method of payment according to the relationship of trust they maintain. Your lawyer will prepare a custom sheet, also known as “Offer of services” or “Service proposal.” Here we will those concepts and amounts for the services necessary to bring your case to a good end will be reflected.
Will he charge me the first consultation?
Usually the answer is no. The first consultation is free. However, some lawyers choose to charge per hour/minute that first consultation to give value to their services. In any case, this criterion varies according to the professional and its rates.
Do a lawyer’s fees get paid when hiring it or later?
Depending on the type of service and its duration, your attorney may ask you for a full or partial provision of funds before you begin the matter. By this way, the lawyer assures the payment of the first expenses. This is very common when the service to be provided is about representation in a court proceeding.
Can I pay when the service is finished? What is litis quota?
Contract for success or fee litis means that your attorney will charge according to the result, so if it is resolved in a favorable way for you, you’ll be charged a percentage of that success (between 11% and 33%). This method of charge is very common in the Anglo-Saxon world where it is popularly known as the “no Win no fee”. In Spain it is mainly applied in cases of traffic accidents.
Also, when the attorney requires funding before beginning to study the matter, a mixed method is used between the two previous charging forms. That is, it is agreed to pay a provision of funds at the beginning to cope with the expenses (prosecutor, judicial fee, expert, documentation, etc.) and then a litis fee when the procedure is resolved.
The important thing is that the lawyer maintains a clear and transparent communication with the client. For this, it will be necessary for the lawyer to indicate from the beginning what the fees are, and where applicable, the amounts to be paid for expenses. This will generate the necessary confidence between the two.
Who pays the lawyer’s fees if you win the lawsuit?
If your issue comes to court, the judge will be the one to pronounce in the ruling about the part who has to pay the procedural costs. Two things can happen:
1. The judge could estimate your request and condemn the other party to pay the costs (expenses of solicitor, expert and lawyer as agreed on the order sheet and official fees). The court will give you a commandment to charge them. From the agreement with your lawyer, you will pay what you fixed in your offer of services.
2. But the judge may also make a partial estimate, and declare that each party must pay its costs.
What if they condemn me to pay procedural costs?
In case you are sentenced to pay the procedural costs, your lawyer will inform you of how to proceed. If you fixed a fee plus minimum expenses regardless of the result, the cost conviction will mean that you must pay the agreed.
