The lawyer is subject to different rules established by his professional order, and judicial code with regard to his fees. The lawyer has in particular the obligation to inform his client on the method of calculation of the fees and this, at the time of the opening of the file.
The lawyer and his client can agree together on an hourly or flat-rate remuneration method. The fee can also be adapted according to the result obtained.
A distinction must be made between the fees, which remunerate the work carried out by the lawyer, and the administrative or legal costs and disbursements, corresponding to secretarial costs, bailiff, court fees, etc. In addition, the lawyer has the obligation to keep his client informed on the evaluation of the calculation of the fees according to the progress of the file.