Fees and expenses.
The lawyers' fees cover all performances and interventions of the lawyer, consisting of, for instance: court representation, advice, correspondence, negotiations, Telephone calls, research, preparation of documents, travel time, and so on.
When lawyers-associates or lawyers-interns cooperate in this case these fee's will be charged in accordance to the seniority of the lawyers concerned, the fee's charged range from 50% to 80% of the above mentioned fee rate.
The expenses made by the office are connected to correspondence, legal briefs, contracts, legal opinions, petitions, subpoenas, and so on. These expenses are charged at the rate of 12,00 EUR per processed page, 0,20 EUR for a copy (0,80 EUR for a colour copy) and 0,40 EUR per travelled kilometre.
The office is bound to request one or more advance payments prior to the commencement of the assignment as well as during the handling of the assignment. Any advance payment consists of a flat sum which has to be paid by the client prior to receiving a detailed note of fee's and expenses. In this note of fee's and expenses the payments made by the client will be deducted from the total end balance.
The client is required to produce the requested advance payment within 15 calendar days after the date of the payment request. In the event that the client does not agree with the requested sum or the note of fee's and expenses, the client is required to contest it within 8 days in writing. A detail of the delivered performances is available at first request.
If even after a written reminder the client does not fulfil the payment request and save for timely and adequate protest, the client is automatically due to pay an interest equal to the normal legal interest + 2% from the date of maturity.
The office reserves the right to adapt the fee's and expenses mentioned in this document to the consumer price index. The eventual adaptation of the fee's and expenses will be calculated on the basis of the consumer price index of the month preceding the undersigning of this document and the consumer price index of the month preceding the anniversary of the undersigning of this document.
If and when a legal insurance company intervenes for the client, the office shall have the right to claim any fee's or expenses not covered by this insurance company from the client.
Money laundering.
The undersigned takes note of the Law on pre-emptive action against money-laundering of the 12th of January, 2004, and the obligation for every lawyer to identify and notify money-laundering practices to the President of the Bar Council at the Bar of Antwerp.
Reliance on third parties.
Next to the normal performances of the office, the client agrees that the office may, on its proper responsibility, rely on any third party such as (foreign) lawyers for any specific assignment.
When the specific case requires that the office relies on a bailiff or translator, the client allows the office to make a choice on his / her behalf. Only with the express authorisation of the client the office will contact other third parties such as notaries, experts, accountants, and so on.
All corresponding expenses will be charged to the client.
Liability.
The client accepts that the eventual compensation he could receive for damages following a professional error of the office is limited to the amount for which the office is insured which is the amount of 3.750.000,00 EUR per year and per claim. This limitation is not applicable in case when the error was made intentionally.
In the event that the professional liability insurer does not cover the damages, and when the office is not responsible for this, the compensation following a professional error is limited in principal sum, costs and interests to an amount equal to the fee's and expenses paid to the office in the case concerned with a definite maximum of 50.000,00 EUR. The applicable insurance policy is available on the office's website and will also be provided to the client at his / her first request.
Third party funds.
The office shall be allowed to deduct any unpaid payment request or unpaid bill of fee's and expenses from all funds it receives on behalf of the client. If so, the office will inform the client in writing. This clause does not limit the right of the client to contest the office's bill's and to claim payment of the deducted sums.
Judicial compensation.
The undersigned acknowledges that he / she has been informed of the applicability and scope of the Law of the 21st of April, 2007, on the recoverability of lawyers fees and legal costs connected with the assistance of the lawyer. (see below)
Communication.
The office shall be allowed to conduct all correspondence via the e-mail address provided by the client. The client will ensure that he maintains control over this e-mail address at all times. The client will inform the office immediately if the e-mail address changes.
Venue and applicable law.
In any case of dispute and subject to the application of deontological requirements, the courts of Antwerp, Belgium will be competent to hear any claim. Only Belgian law will apply.
List of judicial compensations
|
Normal amount |
Minimum |
Maximum |
|
to 250 euro : |
165 euro; |
82,5 euro |
330 euro |
|
from 250,01 euro to 750 euro: |
220 euro; |
137,5 euro |
550 euro |
|
from 750,01 euro to 2.500 euro : |
440 euro; |
220 euro |
1.100 euro |
|
from 2.500,01 euro to 5.000 euro : |
715 euro; |
412,5 euro |
1.650 euro |
|
from 5.000,01 euro to 10.000 euro : |
990 euro; |
550 euro |
2.200 euro |
|
from 10.000,01 euro to 20.000 euro : |
1.210 euro; |
687,5 euro |
2.750 euro |
|
from 20.000,01 euro to 40.0000 euro : |
2.200 euro; |
1.100 euro |
4.400 euro |
|
from 40.000,01 euro to 60.000 euro : |
2.750 euro; |
1.100 euro |
5.500 euro |
|
from 60.000,01 euro to 100.000 euro : |
3.300 euro; |
1.100 euro |
6.600 euro |
|
from 100.000,01 euro to 250.000 euro : |
5.500 euro; |
1.100 euro |
11.000 euro |
|
from 250.000,01 euro to 500.000 euro : |
7.700 euro; |
1.100 euro |
15.400 euro |
|
from 500.000,01 euro to 1.000.000 euro |
11.000 euro; |
1.100 euro |
22.000 euro |
|
more than 1.000.000, 01 euro : |
16.500 euro; |
1.100 euro |
33.000 euro |
|
non valuable in money: |
1.320 euro; |
82,50 euro |
11.000 euro |