Fees for a lawyer in Geneva

How are the fees of a lawyer calculated?

A lawyer’s fees are set in agreement with the client


Lawyers never charge for their services without first drawing up a fee agreement. The calculation takes into account the difficulty of the case, the time required to settle the dispute, the reputation of the law firm and the lawyer, and the lawyer’s specialization. Hourly rates may vary from one lawyer to another, so fees may differ depending on the professional you contact.

Calculating flat-rate fees


The lawyer can charge a fixed fee if the total volume of services and the duration of the proceedings are known in advance. This option is advantageous for the client if he or she wishes to know the cost of the lawyer’s services before engaging his or her services. In this case, a fee agreement is drawn up between the two parties to conclude the terms of the agreement, and the additional costs to be paid by the client are limited to the service of documents by bailiff, photocopying costs and the cost of stamps.

A lawyer’s fees based on results


Under current law, lawyers are entitled to request additional fees for services rendered. As a general rule, success fees are already stipulated in the initial fee agreement. The latter therefore includes the flat-rate fee and the contingency fee, calculated as a percentage depending on the outcome of the case. The amount in question usually corresponds to 10% of the amount won by the client.

Fees billed according to time spent


This billing option is adopted by the lawyer when it is impossible to estimate the time required to resolve the dispute in question. Indeed, depending on the information available at the time the case is initiated, it may evolve rapidly or take months to resolve. This is the only way for the lawyer to be remunerated as closely as possible for his services.

The subscription system


The subscription system is designed for companies that regularly call on the services of a lawyer for routine work. A subscription contract is then drawn up by the lawyer in question to intervene during a predetermined period. Generally speaking, a lawyer’s fees under a subscription agreement are adopted in the field of tax law. His services may be limited to drafting and filing tax returns for the previous year.