At first it must be explained that the services of lawyers, notaries. tax advisers and so on are no accomodations at no charge. For a start the client has to bear the costs of its lawyer. What the whole amount is, is a question of the kind of the legal matter. In the vast majority of consultations and pleading a case in court the costs are fixed by the amount in dispute. How the costs are calculated in Germany you will find into the act of payments for lawyers (Rechtsanwaltsverguetuntsgesetz - RVG (published only in German)). When the case is one of administrative law or social law there is no amount in dispute. For that you will find an exactly scope of amounts into the RVG.

Humans with a very small earning who can not pay themselve the costs of a legal advice or of the legal representation can apply legal aid at one of the German courts where they live. Subject to the hight of their earnings they are free of any charges or they can pay the costs by installments.

If the amount in dispute of a legal proceeding is very high (mostly more then 10.000,00 €) there is the possibiliy to consult an insurance company or a other company finance the costs of the proceeding. At the end of the rpoceeding this company gets about 30 % of the final result. For eample: The amount in dsipute is 100.000,00 €. For that the company pays all the costs (costs of the court and costs of the lawyer). After the proceeding the complainant gets 70.000,00 €. The earning of the company ist 30 % of that = 21.000,00 €. The complainant still gets 49.000,00 €. Anybody, for what the costs-risk is to high and who wants to share the result of the legal proceeding should draw down this offer. But you also must know that the legel proceeding must look for enough success.

It is common usage to agree a special payment between client and lawyer then the case is very large, delicate and long-winded. For that they can agree a fixed amount or a fee subject to the expense, for example 150,00 € per working hour.