Attorney's Fees in Croatia
Attorney's Fees
Attorneys in Croatia charge their services based on the Tariff of lawyers' remuneration and cost reimbursements (hereinafter: "Tariff"). The Tariff prescribes the possibility of the attorneys to raise or lower the fee for their services (in agreement with the client), having in mind the complexity of the case, the client's capabilities, etc.
The Tariff also gives to possibility to calculate legal services using hourly rate, i.e. based on the time actually spent on the legal matter by the attorney. The hourly rate for a attorney in Croatia usually ranges from 100 EUR to 250 EUR and more. However, some say that an average hourly rate for an attorney in Croatia is around EUR 120-150.
For representation in court proceedings, before state or other bodies, the Tariff is applied, and it regulates how much an attorney's legal action costs (e.g. representation at a hearing, inspection of files, etc.).
Litigation
a) Disputes for which a one-time fee for the first-instance procedure is applied ( interference with property, labor disputes and other disputes for which the aforementioned is prescribed ) - 398.16 EUR plus VAT for the first instance court case.
b) Other Disputes for which compensation is calculated taking into account the value of the subject matter of the dispute - every legal action (e.g. drafting a lawsuit, representation in court) has a value that depends on the value of the subject matter of the dispute.
For example, in a case in which the value of the dispute is EUR 7,000, the composition of the lawsuit is worth EUR 199.08 plus VAT.
In property law disputes, attorneys can agree in writing with the client on a reward for work in proportion to success in the procedure (up to 30%).
Enforcement procedure
In the case of debt collection, just as in the case of a litigation, the price of representation depends on the value of the subject of the dispute - the amount of the debt to be collected.
Administrative Dispute
It is also the same example in cases of administrative disputes, and when the value of the case cannot be assessed, a fee of EUR 497.71 is applied for certain actions in the procedure (e.g. composition of the lawsuit, representation at the hearing).
According to the regulations governing the provision of free legal aid, lawyers have the right and duty to provide the so-called secondary legal assistance to parties who, as socially disadvantaged persons, are authorized to receive such assistance by a decision of the competent state administration office. For assistance in such cases, lawyers are entitled to compensation prescribed by a special government regulation.
