Advice from and representation by a lawyer costs money. But the widespread concern that appointing a lawyer will be too expensive or unaffordable is usually unfounded.

For one thing, every legal case is unique. In many cases the costs are based on the table of fees in the Lawyers’ Remuneration Act [Rechtsanwaltsvergütungsgesetz] (RVG). Alternatively, for instance for extrajudicial proceedings, the fee may be freely negotiated as part of a remuneration agreement, which can be advantageous to the client. The level of the fee depends on the details of each individual case and also on the client’s personal circumstances.

In addition, in certain cases the costs or a proportion of the costs may be covered by a third party, for instance through legal expenses insurance. For people on a low income there is also the possibility of applying for legal aid to cover advice on extrajudicial matters or the costs of the judicial process – naturally I am happy to offer support with any such applications.

You can be sure that before I act on your behalf I will discuss in detail with you the costs which will be incurred. This means that everything is predictable and completely transparent for you.

Also: please bear in mind that the costs are only one side of the coin. Legal representation (particularly in criminal law and for the law governing foreign nationals) brings you true added value which is hard to evaluate in monetary terms.