Fees & process

Initial consultation 190 € incl. VAT

For consumers the initial consultation costs 190 € incl. VAT. It takes place by phone or video only; an in-person office appointment is not part of the offer. Sending an inquiry alone does not create a retainer — deadlines are monitored only after an express mandate.

The aim is a workable assessment of your matter: What is the legal core? Which deadlines and evidence matter? Which next steps make sense — and which do not? You receive a clear view, not a promotional promise of a particular outcome.

Please outline the facts with dates and send key documents (letters, notices, contracts) before the appointment if possible. That keeps the conversation focused on assessment rather than reconstructing the timeline.

What comes next: RVG and agreements

Out-of-court and court work often follow the German Lawyers’ Remuneration Act (RVG) or an individual fee agreement. The amount in dispute and the scope of work affect the total. Before you instruct, we clarify the likely range as concretely as possible — without suggesting every case has the same flat fee.

The RVG uses fee types (for example business, procedural and hearing fees) and value-based fees. Administrative offence and criminal matters partly follow their own tables. Whether advice only, correspondence, or representation before an authority or court is needed determines the likely positions.

Disbursements, court fees, expert opinions or translations may arise in addition. Whether a third party (opponent, public purse, insurer) bears costs is a separate question and often only answerable later.

Credit of the initial consultation

If a mandate follows in the same matter, the initial consultation is generally credited against further fees. “Same matter” means the concrete legal subject we already discussed — not every later, thematically distant request.

If the brief later expands to another dispute, additional billing may be required. We raise that before extra work starts. Clarity before work begins is the rule — not surprises afterwards.

Legal expenses insurance

Many policies cover tenancy and civil matters — subject to excess, waiting periods and exclusions. Criminal and fine cases are often limited or excluded; motor legal cover may include accident claims and certain proceedings. Whether cover applies is for the insurer to decide on your policy and the concrete case.

I can help with a coverage request if needed, with a factual description of the dispute. A coverage confirmation is not a guarantee of success in the proceedings and does not replace your cooperation (policy, claim number, prior correspondence).

Please bring insurer details, policy and claim numbers to the initial consultation where available.

Legal aid (Beratungshilfe) and procedural cost assistance (PKH)

With low income and assets, Beratungshilfe (out of court) and Prozesskostenhilfe (in court) may be available. Both require statutory conditions: need, sufficient prospect of success / non-frivolous pursuit, and the proper application route.

Beratungshilfe concerns out-of-court advice and representation; PKH can cover court and lawyers’ fees in court proceedings in whole or in part — often with an instalment review. There is no automatic entitlement; the competent body decides.

In the initial consultation I can roughly assess whether an application looks realistic and which documents are typically needed. The final decision is not made by the firm.

What to bring

Usually enough to start: the disputed contract or notice, prior correspondence, deadlines and a short chronology. Photos, statements, measurement records or insurance papers help depending on the area.

• Tenancy: lease, termination, service-charge statement, defect evidence, deposit — tenancy law
• Civil: invoices, reminders, collection letters, contracts, proof of the claim — civil law
• Criminal: summons, penal order, prior statements, file reference — criminal law
• Traffic / OWi: accident photos, insurer offers, fine notice including the envelope — traffic law and administrative offences

Incomplete files do not block first contact — but clearer evidence makes the assessment more concrete. Readable scans or photos are fine. For fines, the self-check helps prepare the inquiry.

Process: phone and video only

Appointments are by phone and video only. The practice seat is Berlin; advice is available in German, Turkish and English.

After your inquiry I usually reply within one business day. In the initial consultation we clarify assessment, options and — if you wish to instruct — scope and fee range. No retainer arises from the contact form or the consultation alone without an express mandate.

About admission and working style: About.

Practice areas

Fee logic is shared; strategy depends on the field. For substance see the pages on tenancy, civil, criminal, traffic and administrative offences. Advice follows the concrete brief and the file — without a promotional success story.