Legal Costs In Germany – Lawyer And Court Fee In 2025

Key takeaways

• The Lawyers’ Compensation Act (RVG) regulates lawyer’s fees in Germany. However, you can also make an individual fee agreement with the lawyer.
• Legal costs in Germany depend on the amount in dispute, the resolution method (out-of-court and in-court), and the case’s complexity.
• The losing party pays the winner’s in-court legal fees. However, this doesn’t apply to labor law.
• The maximum fee a lawyer can charge for the initial assessment is limited to 190€ plus VAT (as of Jan 2025).
• The minimum lawyer fee for an expert opinion on a legal matter is 250€ plus VAT (as of Jan 2025).

This is how you do it

• Get a free initial assessment to find answers to your questions. 
• Calculate the legal costs to determine if pursuing the dispute is worth it. You can use the legal cost calculators for it.
• Get legal protection insurance to cover the legal costs. In our comparison and test, we found that Arag*—Aktiv-Premium, WGV—Optimal PBV, and KS-Auxilia*—Jurprivat are the best legal insurance plans.
• No legal insurance company in Germany offers services in English. There are insurance agents like Feather* and Getsafe* that can make the signup in English. However, the legal insurance policy they sell (Roland Insurance) offers services in German only.
• Get a written confirmation of coverage (Deckungszusage) from your legal protection insurer before hiring a law firm. 

Table of Contents

Whether you have a dispute or need legal advice, you need a competent lawyer. The good thing is you can calculate the lawyer’s costs, court fees, and any other legal costs in advance.

Based on it, you can decide if starting a legal dispute is worth it.

Legal costs in Germany

The Lawyers’ Compensation Act (Rechtsanwaltsvergütungsgesetz (RVG)) regulates lawyers’ fees in Germany. However, the lawyers can also create an individual fee agreement (Honorarvereinbarungen in German) with the client.

Legal insurance companies in Germany only reimburse the legal costs calculated based on RVG. If you agree to an individual fee arrangement, you must pay part of the legal fees even if you have legal insurance.

The legal fee varies based on three main factors

• Is it an initial consultation
• Do you need lawyer support to resolve the issue out of court
• Is the dispute going to court

In our comparison and test, we found that Arag*—Aktiv-Premium, WGV—Optimal PBV, and KS-Auxilia*—Jurprivat are the best legal insurance plans.

Unfortunately, no legal insurance provider in Germany offers services in English. Insurance agents like Feather* and Getsafe* offer basic English support. However, when you need legal advice, you must contact the insurance company, which only offers advice in German.

Feather and Getsafe sell Roland’s legal insurance plans.

Lawyer’s fees calculation based on the Lawyers’ Compensation Act (RVG)

Per RVG, a lawyer’s fee is calculated based on the amount or value in dispute. A value in dispute is the monetary assessment of the subject matter of the dispute. 

For example, you met with an accident that was not your fault. The repair cost is 5,000 €. In this case, the amount in dispute is 5,000 €.

Similarly, someone owes you money for your services. In this situation, the amount owed is the value in dispute. 

There are situations when calculating the value in dispute is difficult. However, the law defines methods for calculating the amount in dispute.

What is a lawyer’s fee in Germany for legal advice or information?

The lawyer’s fee for legal advice or information is limited to 190€ plus VAT. This means a lawyer cannot charge you more than 226.10€ (including VAT) for an initial consultation call.

You can get legal advice on the phone for free if you have legal insurance.

What is a lawyer’s fee to get an expert opinion in Germany?

Suppose you need an expert opinion to assess the legal situation. In this case, you pay at least 250€ plus VAT.

What is a lawyer’s fee for out-of-court disputes in Germany?

The out-of-court support from the lawyer can be 

• writing a letter to the opponent on your behalf,
• meeting with the opponent on your behalf,
• calling the opponent on your behalf, etc.

Here are the steps to calculate the lawyer’s cost for out-of-court disputes.

• Determine the amount in dispute.
• Based on the amount in dispute, check the resulting base fee (Geschäftsgebühr). You can check the fee on the Federal Ministry of Justice website.
• The actual lawyer’s fee is a factor of the base fee. The factor is determined based on the effort of the lawyer to conclude the dispute.
• The factor varies from 0 to 4.5. You can check which factor applies in which situation on the Federal Ministry of Justice website.

The lawyers, on average, use the factor of 1.3 to calculate the legal costs. Lawyers can use the higher factor only if the case is complex and requires much time.

Moreover, lawyers must justify the reason for using the higher factor.

Legal fee calculation example

Suppose the lawyer

• spent two hours dealing with the case,
• had a telephone conversation with the opponent, and
• wrote two letters. 

The table below shows how the lawyer’s fee is calculated in this situation.

Value in dispute	5000 €
Base fee per RVG	334 €
“Factor” based on the lawyer’s effort	1.3
Lawyer’s fee	434,2 € (334 * 1.3)
Flat post fee	20 €
Sub Total	454,2 €
19% VAT	86,3 €
Total legal fee	540,5 €

NOTE: If you and the lawyer have made an individual fee arrangement, then legal costs per RVG don’t apply. The individual fee arrangement is usually more expensive.

The table below shows the out-of-court legal fees in different scenarios.

Amount in dispute	Base fee	Factor	Lawyer’s fee (Base fee x Factor)	Total legal fee (20 € flat postal charge + 19% VAT)
5000 €	334 €	1.3	434,2 €	540.5 €
11,000 €	666 €	0.5	333 €	420,07 €
19,000 €	770 €	2	1540 €	1832,6 €

What are lawyers and court fees for in-court representation in Germany?

We’ll cover only the legal fees involved in the civil proceedings. The legal fees are calculated differently for administrative, labor, and criminal proceedings.

Suppose the dispute is not resolved out-of-court. It’ll go to the court for judgment. 

In this case, you pay the lawyer to represent you in court and the court fees. Let’s see how they are calculated.

Lawyer’s fee

Per RVG, the lawyer’s fee comprises the following costs in a civil proceeding.

• Procedural fee (Verfahrensgebühr) – Factor of (0 to 4.5) on the base fee. Lawyers usually use a factor of 1.3.
• Appointment fee (Terminsgebühr) – Factor of (0 to 2.5) on the base fee. Lawyers usually use a factor of 1.2.
• Settlement fee (Vergleichsgebühr) if the lawsuit ends in a settlement. It’s generally a factor of 1.5 on the base fee.

The lawyer’s fee you paid already (pre-trial costs) will be offset against the procedural fee. However, only 50% to 70% is offset.

In civil proceedings, the loser usually covers the in-court lawyer’s fee of the winner. The lawyer’s fee for both parties is calculated in the same way.

Courts fee

The court costs consist of the

• court fees (Gerichtlichen Gebühren) and
• court expenses (Gerichtlichen Auslagen).

Court fees are charged based on the value in dispute. You can check the court fee table here (Appendix 2 of the GKG). The base court fees are multiplied by a factor (0 to 5) to get the court costs.

In contrast, court expenses are based on the expenses incurred by the court in the individual case. 

Court expenses can be the costs of compensating witnesses, experts, interpreters, translators, etc. It also includes the compensation of honorary judges and postal and telecommunications costs.

Example of lawyer and court fees for out-of-court and in-court proceedings

Amount in dispute	11,000 €
Base fee (Geschäftsgebühr) (per Federal Ministry of Justice website)	666 €
OUT-OF-COURT FEE
“Factor” based on the lawyer’s effort	1.3
Lawyer’s fee	865.8 € (666 € x 1.3)
Flat postal cost	20 €
Subtotal	885.8 €
19% VAT	168.3 €
Total out-of-court cost	1054.1 € (x) (885.8 + 168.3)
IN-COURT FEE
Lawyer fee	Your lawyer’s fee	The opposite party’s lawyer’s fee
Procedural fee	865.8 € (666 € x 1.3)	865.8 € (666 € x 1.3)
Offset lawyer’s fee from pre-trial	-432.9 €  (Offsetting 50% cost: 865.8 / 2)	0
Procedural fee to be paid	432.9 €	865.8 €
Appointment fee	799.2 (666 € x 1.2)	799.2 (666 € x 1.2)
Postal flat rate	20 €	20 €
Subtotal:	1252.1 € (432.9 + 799.2 + 20)	1685 €
VAT of 19%	237.9 €	320.15 €
Total lawyer’s fee for in-court representation	1490 € (y) (1252.1 + 237.9)	2005.15 € (p)
Court cost
Base fee (per Federal Ministry of Justice website)	295 €
Factor	3
Total court fee	885 € (z) (295 * 3)
Own cost risk	3429,1 € (x + y + z = 1054.1 + 1490 + 885)
Total cost risk	5434.25 € (x + y + z + p = 1054.1 + 1490 + 885 + 2005.15)

Can you get a free initial assessment from a lawyer in Germany?

Some law firms offer free initial assessments. These assessments help clients answer legal questions or determine whether pursuing a legal dispute is worth it.

But as it’s free, don’t expect much from this call. Here is what free initial assessment usually includes.

• A short call to answer your questions.
• Check whether you can assert the legal rights.
• Know the legal costs and risks. Hence, comprehending if it’s worth pursuing the legal dispute.

Free initial assessment doesn’t include the following.

• The lawyer will not verify or read the documents related to the dispute.
• Lawyer won’t spend more than 30 mins of their time in the free assessment.
• The lawyer won’t send a letter or call the opposing party on your behalf.

NOTE: In practice, finding a lawyer offering free initial assessment is tough.

How do you get a free initial assessment?

There are two ways to get a free initial assessment in Germany.

• Contact the law firm specializing in the field in which you need support.
• Using a lawyer search portal.

Contact Law firms

• Many law firms in Germany offer free initial assessment. So, Google the lawyers who specialize in the field you need support. 
• Check the law firms’ websites to see if they offer free initial assessments.

Lawyer search portals

• Yourxpert and Klugo* are portals where you can find and hire a lawyer.
• You can describe your situation online on their website and get a free initial assessment.

After the initial assessment, the lawyers may send you an offer for a fee-based consultation.

How do you know the legal costs before starting a legal dispute in Germany?

Here are the ways to know the legal costs.

• Contact a lawyer and ask about the total cost of a legal dispute. Ensure you ask the lawyer for both out-of-court and in-court costs. Moreover, get the legal cost you may bear if you lose.
• You can calculate the legal costs yourself, as explained above.
• You can use one of the legal cost calculators available online.

Legal cost calculators

There are many legal cost calculators in Germany. Some of them are.

• Juris legal cost calculator
• “Anwalts such service” legal cost calculator

Both calculators are in German. But the Google Translate plugin does a decent job of translating.

Who owes the lawyer’s fees in Germany – the client or the losing opponent?

The client owes the lawyer’s fees irrespective of the outcome of the legal dispute. However, you have a right to claim the legal costs from the opponent if you win the legal dispute.

NOTE: In legal disputes related to labor law, the losing opponent is not liable to pay the winner’s legal fees. It’s made like this to protect the employee from paying the hefty legal fees of the employer’s lawyers if the employee loses.

Is paying an advance to the lawyers normal in Germany?

Yes, lawyers in Germany ask for an advance payment before they start working on your case. However, the advance payment should be reasonable (RVG Section 9)

The lawyer decides when to request an advance payment.

If you have legal insurance, you can request your insurer to pay the advance payment. Finally, you must ensure that the lawyer considers the advancement payments in the final invoice (Section 10, Paragraph 2 of the RVG).

Legal protection insurance in Germany

Many times, it’s difficult to assess the value of the dispute or tell how much the legal costs will be. In such situations, it’s tough for you to determine whether to pursue a legal dispute.

But if you have legal protection insurance, you don’t have to worry about the legal costs. Your legal insurance provider will cover the lawyer’s and court costs.

Always contact your legal insurance company before hiring a lawyer. You must get a written confirmation letter (Deckungszusage) from the insurer stating they will cover the legal costs.

This way, you won’t be stuck with legal bills that your insurer won’t cover. 

NOTE: Legal insurance only covers the legal costs regulated per RVG. You must pay for anything above that out of your own pocket.

In our comparison and test, we found that Arag*—Aktiv-Premium, WGV—Optimal PBV, and KS-Auxilia*—Jurprivat are the best legal insurance plans.

Unfortunately, no legal insurance provider in Germany offers services in English. Insurance agents like Feather* and Getsafe* offer basic English support. However, when you need legal advice, you must contact the insurance company, which only offers advice in German.

Feather and Getsafe sell Roland’s legal insurance plans.

NOTE: Top rating agencies in Germany rated Arag—Aktiv-Premium, WGV—Optimal PBV, and KS / Auxilia—Jurprivat as the best legal insurance plans in Germany (as of Jan 2025).

What can you do if you cannot afford a lawyer in Germany?

You can apply for legal aid if you cannot afford a lawyer. In this case, the law firm forgo their fees entirely.

If you receive social assistance (Sozialhilfe), you are automatically eligible for legal aid.

You can learn more about it in our guide on legal aid.

References

• https://www.iww.de/rvgprof/archiv/einigungsgebuehr-vergleichsgebuehr-nun-einigungsgebuehr-f47495
• https://www.haufe.de/recht/deutsches-anwalt-office-premium/4-aussergerichtliche-taetigkeiten-5-beispiele-zur-berechnung-der-geschaeftsgebuehr_idesk_PI17574_HI15188997.html
• https://www.anwaelte-hc.de/anwaltskosten-rechtsanwaltkosten-berechnen
• https://www.brak.de/service/verbraucherinformationen/was-kostet-das/
• https://www.verivox.de/rechtsschutzversicherung/themen/anwaltsgebuehren/