Prices

Fees for a solicitor’s services are the first thing people ask about at the start of a telephone conversation. The law allows a solicitor and a client to agree on any form of payment: a fixed sum for a specific service, an hourly rate, or a fee linked to the outcome. This is expressly provided for in Article 30 of the Law of Ukraine ‘On the Bar and the Practice of Law’, and the terms themselves are set out in writing by the parties in a contract for the provision of legal assistance (Article 27 of the same Law). A verbal agreement on fees is not legally binding, and this protects the client above all.

In practice, a person might visit five websites and find fees varying by a factor of several times. The reason is not greed: the single term ‘divorce’ can cover everything from a declaration that a couple signs in twenty minutes to a two-year dispute involving the division of a business, the valuation of assets and forensic expert evidence. The same applies to debt recovery: one case involves an undisputed debt based on a promissory note; another involves a debtor who has been transferring assets to relatives for three years. Therefore, any figure in the price list is a ‘starting point’—the lower limit from which negotiations begin, rather than a final bill.

We calculate the cost after reviewing your documents. During the consultation, you will receive not only an answer to the substance of your query, but also a cost estimate: a list of actions, an approximate timeframe and the cost. If circumstances arise during the process that were not apparent at the outset — such as the court ordering an expert assessment or the defendant filing a counterclaim — we will agree on any additional charges separately and in writing, rather than simply including them in the final bill without prior notice.

Call us to get a quote for your situation: +38 (095) 554-54-24. Mon–Fri, 09:00–18:00, Kyiv, 7 Khoriva Street (Podil).

Cost of services (lawyer’s fees)

What determines the cost of a solicitor’s services

Five factors influence the cost more than anything else.

• The court level. First instance, appeal and cassation are three separate processes with different legal frameworks. A cassation appeal does not require a retelling of the facts, but rather a demonstration that the court misapplied the law, and it takes longer to draft than a claim.
• Number of hearings. A civil case rarely concludes in a single hearing: a typical dispute over the division of property involves 4–8 hearings over a period of 8–14 months.
• Expert evidence. As soon as a case involves construction and technical, commodity or handwriting expert evidence, motions, questions for the expert and, often, a review of the expert’s report are added.
• Jurisdiction. If the case is being heard by a court in another region, travel costs are included in the price.
• Time-sensitive work. Arrest, search, the five-day deadline for appeal — work that needs to be done tonight costs more than work for which there is a month.

Comprehensive legal representation involves handling the case from the initial consultation through to the decision of the court of first instance: gathering evidence, legal enquiries, the claim, all hearings, applications and objections. Appeals and cassation proceedings are not included in this fee and are charged separately, as these are independent processes with their own timeframes.

A separate note on the last line. Working without an upfront payment does not mean ‘free until we win’: until a result is achieved, the lawyer bears the entire risk of the case. Therefore, the entry threshold is high, and this format only makes sense in major property disputes with a predictable outcome. In most cases, the client is better off with standard payment in stages.

What is not included in the cost of the service

Court fees, notary services, and costs for expert reports, property valuations or medical examinations are payable by the client. We calculate these costs in advance and inform you of them transparently.