Fees and expenses
Unless otherwise agreed, the fees are calculated according to the number of hours worked multiplied by the hourly rates set by SRL DELACOLLETTE.
The law and deontological rules prohibit lawyers from "entering into any agreement on fees exclusively linked to the result of the dispute"; fees cannot therefore be linked solely to the result of the action, and must be determined taking into account the importance of the case, the nature of the work and the reputation of the lawyer.
The client is always entitled to ask for clarifications and justifications, by contacting the lawyer directly.
The hourly rate is determined in the lawyer's mission letter or in the mediation protocol of the certified mediator. The fees paid by SRL DELACOLLETTE on behalf of the client will be calculated separately. General office expenses (such as postage, telephone, fax, photocopies, etc.) are charged as a percentage of the fees . All these amounts are exclusive of VAT. VAT at the applicable rate (currently 21%) will be added to the total amount of the costs and fees. The services of SRL DELACOLLETTE will in principle be invoiced on a monthly basis.
Invoices are to be paid within 30 days of their date. Any complaint must be made within 30 days of the invoice, failing which the invoice will be irrevocably considered as accepted.
Coverage of costs and fees
by third parties
It may be that the client can benefit from the partial or total intervention of a paying third party (e.g. an insurance company - legal protection insurance, or legal aid). If this is the case, the client must make sure to notify this third party as soon as possible of the dispute and the lawyer's intervention and inform SRL DELACOLLETTE.
The lawyer is not involved in the intervention of a paying third party and cannot be held responsible for a lack of intervention by the latter.
In contentious cases, the courts may order the losing party to pay the other party or parties a generally lump sum, determined according to a scale established by law or regulation, as a contribution to the lawyer's fees of the winning party. This lump sum, known as "procedural compensation", does not correspond to the fees and costs actually charged to the client but is deducted from them where appropriate.