Fees
I set my fees transparently, prior to any intervention. My fees are specifically and precisely set out in the fee agreement signed with my clients.
FAQ
In France, lawyer fees are, in principle, freely agreed upon between the lawyer and his/her client.
Several criteria are taken into account, including :
- The time spent working on the case
- The amount of legal research
- The nature and difficulty of the case (if a fault has to be demonstrated to engage the defendant’s liability, the degree of difficulty increases)
- The importance of the interests at stake
- The impact of the costs and expenses of the lawyer
- The lawyer's reputation and experience
- The benefits and results obtained for the client
- The client's financial situation
I pay particular attention to the financial situation of my clients, and do not undertake any diligence unless I have reached a prior written agreement on my fees.
There are classically three main types of lawyer fees in France :
Hourly fee : the lawyer and the client agree on an hourly rate.
- Flat-rate fee : the lawyer and the client agree on a global amount, which will cover all the work the lawyer will carry out.
Success fee : the lawyer will retain a percentage of the compensation his/her client will receive at the end of the proceedings.
It may also be a percentage of the total amount saved by the client at the end of the proceedings on the sums claimed by the opposing party.
This percentage is determined in advance between the lawyer and the client and set out in the fee agreement. Its amount depends on the chances of success of the case and its complexity.
Success fee is often used in cases involving compensation for personal injury and/or property damage.
Please note that, as per French law, a lawyer cannot be remunerated solely on the basis of a success fee. The client will mandatorily have to pay for proportionate fixed fee, to which the success fee will eventually be added.
YES.
The VAT rate applicable to services provided by a French lawyer is of 20%.
Your lawyer will not keep this amount as he/she will be entitled to pay it back in full to the French tax authorities.
In principle, YES.
Article 11.2 of the French National Internal Rules of the Legal Profession provides that :
« Except in cases of urgency or force majeure or when he is acting under full legal aid or part three of law no. 91-647 of 10 July 1991 relating to legal aid, the lawyer shall enter into a written fee agreement with his client, which shall specify, in particular, the amount or method of determining the fees covering the foreseeable work, as well as the various costs and disbursements envisaged. »
Therefore, excepted in emergency or force majeure cases, a written fee agreement must be enterred into.
YES.
Article 11.6 of the French National Internal Rules of the Legal Profession provides that :
« A lawyer who accepts responsibility for a case may ask his client to make an advance payment in advance of his fees and expenses. This advance payment may not exceed a reasonable estimate of the probable fees and disbursements involved in the case. »
The advance payment percentage varies according to the nature and complexity of the case. It is subject to prior agreement between the client and the lawyer.
Insurance contracts (housing, car, bank card, etc.) often include legal expenses coverage.
This coverage is limited by a scale appended to the insurance policy. The amounts vary depending on the type of proceedings and the insurance company.
I am qualified to analyze your insurance contract and determine whether your fees could be fully or partially paid by your insurer.
Please note that, should your fees be totally or partially paid by your insurer, you remain entirely free to choose your own lawyer. Under no circumstances can your insurer force you to be defended by a lawyer of its choice.
NO.
Postage costs will be billed additionally, subject to systematic presentation of receipts.
This is provided for in the fee agreement.
NO.
Travel expenses incurred in connection with a case (mileage allowances, tolls, car parks, train or plane tickets) will be billed additionally, subject to systematic presentation of receipts.
This is provided for in the fee agreement.
NO.
All the costs advanced by a lawyer in the course of a client’s defence (more commonly known as ‘disbursements’) are additionally charged to the client.
They include the following costs: procedural fees, registration fees, bailiffs‘ fees, legal experts’ fees, court registry fees, pleading fees (13 euros) and tax stamps (225 euros for appeals), publication costs, etc.
Whenever the client is a professional, the lawyer will be entitled to claim compensation of 40 € per invoice issued and not paid, applicable from the first day of late payment (Article L. 441-10 of the French Commercial Code).
The lawyer may also seek reimbursement of costs incurred in recovering his fees. Whenever the client is an individual, the lawyer will be entitled to suspend his/her intervention.
Clients are free to choose their lawyer. They are also free to change lawyers, without having to justify the reasons why they changed.
However, the client must settle the fees owed to his/her initial lawyer.
The new lawyer appointed by the client will be obliged to ask the initial lawyer whether his/her fees have been settled.
A lawyer whose fees are unpaid is entitled to initiate fee recovery proceedings against his/her client.