Compare the included work, not just the total
Two quotations with the same price may cover different work. One may include only a claim; another may include the first-instance hearings. Identify preparation, filing, negotiations, hearings and follow-up separately. State whether appeals and enforcement require a new agreement.
Link payments to a described stage
For a file assessment, describe the questions and the written advice you will receive. For litigation, identify the court stage and the work included in the advance. Agree how extra hearings, substantial new claims or urgent applications will be priced.
Court fees, translations, experts and travel should have a payment and approval arrangement. Ask who orders the service, who pays the provider and whether prior approval is required above an agreed amount.
Define a success fee before success becomes a dispute
A percentage needs a calculation basis. Does it apply to the sum awarded or the sum actually collected? What happens after partial payment, settlement, payment in instalments or transfer of an asset instead of cash? Address interest, costs and currency conversion where relevant.
Example: a judgment awards money but the debtor has paid nothing. A success-fee clause tied to an award has a different effect from one tied to collection. Choose the intended trigger in the agreement rather than relying on the word success.
Agree how changes and an ending are handled
Provide a way to authorise extra work and identify the person who may give instructions. If the appointment ends early, the parties need to distinguish completed work, committed third-party expenses and any unspent advance. State how the final account and file handover will be handled.
Request an invoice or payment confirmation describing the agreed stage. The purpose is a shared understanding of what is being bought and when another fee may arise.
Official sources
Sources checked on 22 October 2026.
Get a quotation you can compare
Ask for the included court or negotiation stage, payment triggers, outside expenses and the price of additional work. Compare the work as well as the total.