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Cost is the first question anyone asks before instructing a lawyer, and there is no reason to wait for the first meeting to answer it. This page sets out how fees are determined, what they cover, what is charged on top, and the schemes that may cover part of them. This English page is provided for information only; the French version prevails.
The principle: a written agreement
Cases opened under legal aid, where the aid is granted, are not covered by these fees.
Nothing starts without an agreement
No work is carried out before a written fee agreement has been signed, as required by article 10 of the Law of 31 December 1971. It sets out the scope of the engagement, the amount or the method used to calculate it, and the payment schedule.
A figure before you commit
That is part of what the first meeting is for: assessing the work your case involves and quoting you a cost, whether or not you then decide to instruct the practice.
No overrun without an amendment
If something new changes the scale of the case — a procedural incident, an expert report, an appeal — the practice tells you and prices its effect before undertaking it. An amendment to the agreement is then signed.
Worth reading before you commit
Questions about cost always come back in the same terms. This article answers them in full, without jargon.
Billing methods
The method depends on the work involved and is written into the agreement. They are often combined: a fixed fee for the expected proceedings, an hourly rate for work that was not foreseen in them.
Payment can be spread over up to ten instalments, free of charge.
Consultation
A meeting at the office or by video call: your situation is reviewed, the available procedures are explained, and the cost of the next steps is quoted.
Fixed fee
A set amount, agreed in advance for proceedings whose scope can be predicted: divorce by mutual consent, an application to the family court, attendance at a hearing. You know the total when you sign.
Time spent
An hourly rate, used where the length and outcome of the case cannot be stated in advance. A record of the time spent on the case comes with every invoice.
Success fee
A supplement, calculated as a percentage of the sums obtained and set out in the agreement. It is added to one of the methods above: French law forbids it from being the lawyer's sole remuneration.
Fees
The practice quotes two rates. They are not a quotation: the amount that applies to your case is the one set out in your fee agreement, once your situation has been reviewed.
| Service | Amount |
|---|---|
| First consultation | 250 € |
| Hourly ratework billed by the hour | 250 € |
VAT is not charged (French small-business exemption, article 293 B of the General Tax Code): the amounts shown are the amounts payable, with no tax to be added. Rates in force as of 20 September 2026 and open to revision at any time: the rate that applies to you is the one stated in your fee agreement.
Disbursements
Fees pay for the lawyer's work. On top of them come the sums paid to third parties for the purposes of the proceedings, none of which she receives:
- court filing fees, pleading duties and taxes payable in the course of the proceedings;
- enforcement officer's steps (commissaire de justice, formerly huissier): service of documents, enforcement, formal records;
- the cost of expert reports, social enquiries, translation or interpreting ordered by the court;
- travel costs, where the case is heard outside the jurisdiction of the Bar.
These disbursements are passed on to the euro, against receipts, and are not part of the fee calculation.
Payment
- A payment on account is requested when the file is opened. It is set against the fees: it is not an extra charge.
- The balance is called in line with the schedule set out in the agreement, as the engagement progresses.
- All means of payment are accepted, with the exception of cheques.
- Payment can be spread over up to ten instalments free of charge; the schedule agreed is then written into the agreement.
- Funds received on your behalf — compensatory allowance, balancing payment, damages — pass through the CARPA de Paris, which pays them out: they are never mixed with fees.
Help with costs
Legal aid
Depending on your means and on the nature of the case, the French State may cover all or part of the cost of the proceedings (Law no. 91-647 of 10 July 1991). The application is filed with the legal aid office of the competent court, and your eligibility is reviewed at the first meeting.
The practice accepts cases opened on this basis: where legal aid is granted to you, the case is not covered by the fees set out on this page.
Legal expenses insurance
Home and motor insurance policies, bank cards and health cover often include legal expenses cover, which pays part of the fees. Check your policies before the first meeting: the choice of lawyer is yours, whatever the insurer.
Disputes
Any dispute concerning fees falls to the President of the Bar (Batonnier) of the Bar of Paris, who is seised by registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt, under the procedure laid down in articles 174 et seq. of the Decree of 27 November 1991.
A consumer client may also refer the matter free of charge to the national consumer ombudsman for the legal profession (180 boulevard Haussmann, 75008 Paris), after a written complaint to the practice has gone unresolved.
Read the “Fees” section of the legal noticeLast updated: 8 septembre 2026.