Attorney's Fees and the Attorneys' Tariff
Basic information on how legal services are remunerated. The specific fee and terms are always agreed in advance.
1.Contractual fee
The amount and method of remuneration are always agreed with the client in advance, individually according to the nature, scope and complexity of the matter. The most common arrangements are an hourly rate, a fee per act of legal service or a flat fee; for suitable matters, a success fee may be agreed by a separate written agreement.
Before accepting a mandate, we acquaint the client with the method of determining the price and, based on the available information, state the expected scope of work and costs.
2.Fee under the Attorneys' Tariff
If no fee is agreed by contract, it is governed by Decree No. 177/1996 Coll., the Attorneys' Tariff, as amended. In that case, the fee is determined in particular according to the tariff value of the matter and the number of acts of legal service.
3.Disbursements and other costs
In addition to the fee, the attorney is entitled to reimbursement of disbursements and compensation for lost time under the Attorneys' Tariff, unless agreed otherwise. Court and administrative fees, expert fees and the costs of external specialists are borne by the client.
If the attorney is a VAT payer, value added tax at the statutory rate is added to the fee and reimbursements.
4.Retainers and billing
A reasonable retainer may be requested towards the fee and expected costs; the retainer is accounted for and any unused balance is refunded after the final statement. Billing is provided on an ongoing basis, usually monthly or upon completion of a self-contained part of the mandate, and is explained to the client on request.
5.Attorney escrow
In statutory cases, funds and documents may be taken into attorney escrow under a separate written escrow agreement, in particular in real estate transactions.