Assignments
As a rule, we do not draft a specific agreement between the client and the office, unless the nature of the case requires it. It suffices for the client to commission the case to the office, which means that both parties enter into an agreement. The terms of the assignment and remuneration arrangements can be requested from the office.
Unless otherwise agreed, and a written contract is drafted of this agreement, we will follow the terms and conditions below. When carrying out assignments, the office complies with the Finnish Bar Association Code of Conduct for Lawyers. Unless otherwise agreed, the legal office may delegate individual procedures to the office personnel according to its own discretion.
General remuneration terms
The general remuneration terms are determined according to the Fee Guidelines verified by the Finnish Bar Association.
Fees
We bill our clients on an hourly basis. The hourly fee is determined by the level of difficulty and the nature of the assignment, as well as the value and significance of the assets. Factors that increase the fee are assignments requiring special competence, either based on education or experience, as well as a particularly high value of the protected assets.
Advocacy in higher courts and special courts always increases the fee. Furthermore, if the completion of the assignment requires unusual working times, such as nights and weekends, the fee will increase. Other grounds also apply to estate inventory and distribution, and these are dependent on the size of the estate.
Hourly fees
Depending on the abovementioned grounds, the fee is €275–350 per hour (€345,13–439,25 incl. VAT 25,5%). The smallest fee unit is 6 minutes, or 0.1 hours.
Expenses
We will charge the client for any expenses necessary for completing the assignment in the amount spent by the office. Where required, we will provide the receipts for these expenses.
Expenses include court protocol fees and court fees, postal and courier costs, as well as costs incurred from using the court case register and other registers. Travel expenses will be charged separately. Longer journeys will be made in business class. We use taxis for travel in Greater Helsinki. In exceptional cases where we use our personal car, we charge €0.50 € (€0.63 incl. VAT 25,5%) per kilometre. If an unusually large number of photocopies is required, they will be charged at €0.60 € (€0.75 incl. VAT 25,5%) per page.
Invoice
The client will receive an itemised invoice detailing each procedure and the amount. All expenses incurred during the assignment will also be itemised.
Payment term, interest for late payment
The payment term for invoices is 14 days from the invoice date and the annual interest for late payment is 13%. Our reminder fee for late payment is €20.
Invoicing period
The office invoices the client monthly, quarterly or bi-annually or after the whole assignment has finished, unless otherwise agreed. An invoice will be issued at least once per year for assignments that last for more than 12 months.
Legal expenses insurances
When carrying out an assignment involving a client's legal expenses insurance, the office is not bound by the the insurance terms agreed upon between the client and the insurance company, or by the possible maximum fee decided by the insurance company, but the assignment will be carried out according to the Code of Conduct for Lawyers and based on these terms of commission.
Changes
The office has the right to increase its hourly fee annually without separately notifying the client. The increased fee will only be applied to procedures subsequent to the increase.