How much does it cost to hire a civil lawyer?
How much does it cost to hire a civil lawyer?
Hiring a civil lawyer in Thailand has a wide range of fees, depending on a number of factors, from the complexity of the case, the lawyer’s experience, and the fee structure agreed upon between the lawyer and the client. Generally, civil lawyer fees can be divided into several formats, and start from tens of thousands of baht to hundreds of thousands of baht. Or higher for complex and high-cost cases.
Civil Lawyer Fee Models
Generally, law firms and attorneys in Thailand offer the following fee models for civil cases:
- Flat Fee: This is the most common model for less complex civil cases. The lawyer estimates the total workload and provides a fixed price from the beginning to the end of the first-instance court process. This model allows clients to easily control their budget.
- Hourly Rate: This is often used for complex cases where the exact timeframe is difficult to estimate, or for initial legal consultations. Hourly rates vary depending on the attorney’s experience and expertise.
- Contingency Fee: In some civil cases, particularly those involving damages, an attorney may agree to receive a percentage of the client’s winnings. A fixed fee is usually agreed upon upfront.
- Monthly Retainer Fee: This is ideal for businesses or individuals who require ongoing legal advice. A monthly fee is paid to a lawyer for legal advice and assistance with various legal issues.
Factors Affecting Lawyer Fees
Lawyer fees in civil cases vary depending on the following factors:
- Type and Complexity of Case: Complicated cases with legal issues to be interpreted or a large amount of evidence tend to have higher fees than less complex cases.
- Money in the Case: Cases with a high claim amount or value of the property in dispute tend to have higher lawyer fees.
- Lawyer Experience and Expertise: A reputable lawyer with extensive experience or expertise in that type of case. The fees are naturally higher.
- Case Procedure: Litigation fees for the Court of First Instance, the Court of Appeal, and the Supreme Court vary, with the fees typically higher for the Appeal and Supreme Court.
- Legal Workload and Litigation Duration: Cases that are expected to take a long time and involve a large volume of work, such as gathering evidence or examining multiple witnesses, will naturally incur higher fees.
Approximate Fees for Various Civil Case Types
According to several law firms in Thailand, the initial fees for various civil case types are summarized as follows:
- Loan Cases, Breach of Contract Cases, Tort Cases (Simple): Approximate Starting Prices 30,000 – 50,000 baht for litigation in the court of first instance
- Divorce case, division of marital property:
- In case of agreement (divorce only): Starting at approximately 20,000 – 40,000 baht
- In case of dispute over marital property or child custody: Starting at approximately 50,000 baht and up and there may be additional costs calculated as a percentage of the marital property value
- Inheritance case, estate management:
- Request to be an estate executor (no objection): Starting at approximately 20,000 – 40,000 baht
- Inheritance dispute case: Starting at approximately 50,000 baht and up
- Lawsuit at the appeal or supreme court: Generally, there will be additional costs from the court of first instance, starting at approximately 40,000 – 60,000 baht or more per court