WHAT DOES THE SUPPORT OF A LAWYER COST YOU?
The principle of free fee agreement applies, which means that the same statutory tariff provisions apply to all Austrian lawyers, namely the Lawyers' Fees Act (RATG), the Notaries' Fees Act (NTG) and the General Fee Criteria (AHK).
If legal services are not covered by the RATG, the RATG is supplemented by the General Fee Criteria, for example for representation and defence in criminal proceedings.
FEE INVOICING ACCORDING TO INDIVIDUAL SERVICES IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWYERS' TARIFF ACT (RATG)
When calculating according to the tariff (RATG), each individual service (each telephone call, letter, e-mail, conference and the time spent studying the file) is charged, whereby the amount of the individual service depends on the amount in dispute. The higher the amount in dispute, the higher the legal fees.
The basis of assessment in the respective dispute is very often referred to as the amount in dispute. The higher the basis of assessment, the higher the lawyer's fee if billing is based on a tariff.
Many claims do not consist of monetary claims (e.g. interference with possession), therefore a monetary value must be assigned to them. The RATG specifies corresponding monetary valuations for these claims. If there are no valuations in the RATG, these can be determined with the help of the AHK (General Fee Criteria).
If a value cannot be determined from either the RATG or the AHK, the lawyer and client must value the claim in monetary terms.
FEES CHARGED ACCORDING TO HOURLY RATES:
Unless otherwise agreed, our law firm charges according to the hourly rate principle. The actual time spent will be charged. The smallest chargeable time unit is 6 minutes.
Depending on the specialism and complexity of your legal matter, lower hourly rates may also apply, which we always agree separately.
The fee is invoiced on a monthly basis. Later invoicing for various reasons (e.g. after the conclusion of a legal matter) can be agreed separately with us in our fee agreement.
FLAT FEE AGREEMENT:
We are also happy to offer our clients a flat fee agreement if the time required can be realistically estimated based on our experience and all documents have been submitted in full.
We can offer you a flat fee agreement for the following areas:
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Formation of a company;
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Drawing up a simple will;
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Drawing up a living will;
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Establishment of a health care proxy;
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Trademark registration at the Austrian Patent Office or the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO);
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Drawing up a purchase contract;
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Citizenship applications;
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Residence and Settlement Permits;
LEGAL EXPENSES INSURANCE:
If you have legal expenses insurance and this provides cover in your case, we can invoice our costs directly to the insurance company. As a rule, legal expenses insurance also covers the costs of the other party.
On request, we will be happy to clarify directly with your insurance company whether you will be granted legal expenses cover for your case. You can therefore contact us directly with your matter and do not have to contact your insurance company first.
If you need advice and support in selecting suitable legal expenses insurance or other insurance, we will be happy to recommend an insurance expert who can advise you in this regard.
INITIAL CONSULTATION:
We can offer you a 30-minute first consultation in our office free of charge. We will then inform you of the costs and billing modalities for our further services during this consultation, provided we can estimate the amount of work involved.
If our law firm is instructed, we will record the billing modalities agreed with you in writing in a fee agreement.
FEE ON ACCOUNT:
A lawyer is entitled to demand reasonable advance payments from his client and to make interim invoices. We usually request payment on account before commencing our work and this is also regulated in our fee agreement.
If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact us by telephone or email.