How much I should pay for a lawyer in Shanghai China

This is an inevitable question between any client-attorney relationship. Sometimes, it is the key factor dictating whether a client will go with a certain lawyer.

While different lawyers or attorney-at-law may quote different fees to a potential clients, there are some benchmarks for the parties to consider and follow. In fact, Shanghai local government has promulgated a specific regulation guiding the charge of clients by local attorneys. Here is the transaltion of the regulation.

It shall be noted that these guidelines are directed for arbitrations and litigations cases only, not for those non-contentious matters such as M&A. On a special note, readers shall be aware that such guidelines are not strictly compulsory or mandatory, subject to adjustment by the parties.

The Guiding Standards of Legal Fees for Legal Services in Shanghai

I.  Legal Fees Charged on Case by Case Basis

1.  Criminal Cases

(1) provision of services at the investigatory stage: RMB 1,500-1o,000;

(2) provision of services at the stage of indictment by procuratorate: RMB 2,000-10,000;

(3) provision of services at the stage of court trial: RMB 3,000-30,000.

2. For civil, administrative and state compensation cases involving no properties: RMB 3,000-12,000.

II. Legal Fees Charged as a Percentage of Value of Claims or Properties

For civil, administrative and state compensation cases involving monetary claims or properties, progressive legal fees can be charged in light of amounts of claims or properties involved therein as follows:

for the part of amount below RMB 100,000 (inclusive), a percentage of 8%-12% can be charged thereon, and the minimum charge is RMB 3,000;

for the part of amount above RMB 100,000 – RMB 1,000,000 (inclusive), a percentage of 5%-7% can be charged;

for the part of amount above RMB 1,000,000 – RMB 10,000,000 (inclusive), a percentage of 3%-5% can be charged;

for the part of amount above RMB 10,000,000 – RMB 100,000,000, a percentage of 1%-3% can be charged;

for the part of amount above RMB 100,000,000, a percentage of 0.5%-1% can be charged.

[in 2017, Shanghai Local government issues a revised version of this guiding standards, but the rates have remained the same.]

III.  Legal Fees Based on Time

The hourly rate charged for representation in criminal, civil, administrative and state compensation cases can be RMB 200-3,000 per hour.

[Notes: (a) generally speaking, if it is a foreign-related case, the legal fee is higher than that in a domestic case with no foreign element involved. (b) the legal fees set out above are for legal representation in the court trial of first instance, and if the appellate proceeding is triggered, the legal fees for the trial of second instance can be half of the legal fees charged for the first-instance trial; (3) if a case is particularly important, difficult or complicated, the parties can agree on greater legal fee that shall not be more than five times the standards set forth above. ]

IV.  Legal Fees Contingent on Outcome

In the case of legal fee contingent on the outcome of legal representation, the maximum of legal fee charged shall not more than 30% of the monetary claims or value of properties involved.

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You can also read the original Chinese version below:

上海市律师服务收费政府指导价标准

(2017年标准）

　　一、计件收费方式

（一）担任刑事案件犯罪嫌疑人、被告人的辩护人以及刑事案件自诉人、被害人的代理人；

1、担任刑事案件犯罪嫌疑人、被告人的辩护人：

侦查阶段：1500-10000元/件；

审查起诉阶段：2000-10000元/件；

一审阶段：3000-30000元/件。

2、代理刑事自诉案件或担任被害人代理人的，按照上述标准酌减收费。

（二）代理其他实行政府指导价的不涉及财产关系的案件：3000-12000元/件。

二、按标的额比例收费

代理涉及财产关系的案件可以根据该项法律服务所涉及的标的额，按照下列比例分段累计收费：

10万元以下（含10万元）部分收费比例为8%－12％，收费不足3000元的，可按3000元收取；

10万元以上至100万元（含100万元）部分收费比例为5%－7%；

100万元以上至1000万元（含1000万元）部分收费比例为3%－5%；

1000万元以上至1亿元（含1亿元）部分收费比例为1%－3%；

1亿元以上部分收费比例为0.5%-1%。

三、计时收费

代理实行政府指导价的案件，计时收费标准为200－3000元/小时。

四、收费说明

（一）刑事案件的犯罪嫌疑人、被告人同时涉及数个罪名或数起犯罪事实，可按照所涉罪名或犯罪事实分别计件收费。

刑事附带民事诉讼案件的民事诉讼部分，属于实行政府指导价范围的，按照民事诉讼案件标准收费；属于市场调节价范围的，由律师事务所和委托人协商确定。

（二）民事、行政诉讼案件同时涉及财产和非财产关系的，可按较高者计算并收费。

反诉案件,可在本诉案件收费的基础上由律所与委托人协商确定。

（三）代理各类诉讼案件的申诉，按照一审阶段收费标准执行。

（四）重大、疑难、复杂诉讼案件经律师事务所与委托人协商一致，可以在规定标准5倍之内（含5倍）协商确定收费标准。

（五）前述收费标准，除另有指明外，是指诉讼案件一审阶段的收费标准。单独代理二审、死刑复核、再审、执行案件的，按照一审阶段收费标准执行。曾代理前一阶段的，后一阶段起减半收取。

附件2：

律师服务收费中重大、疑难、复杂诉讼案件认定办法

一、以下诉讼案件可在委托代理（收费）合同中约定为重大、疑难、复杂诉讼案件：

（一）依法应当由合议庭审理的刑事案件；

（二）由中级以上（含中级）人民法院管辖的一审诉讼案件；

（三）符合法院、检察、公安、司法行政等机关重大、疑难、复杂案件标准的诉讼案件；

（四）引起社会普遍关注、具有较大社会影响的案件；

（五）新类型案件；

（六）具有较大社会影响的涉港澳台或涉外案件；

（七）办案机关决定需要其他专业人士参与的案件；

（八）案情复杂、涉及三个以上（含三个）法律关系的案件；

（九）其他由律师事务所与委托人协商一致，作为重大、疑难、复杂的案件。

二、律师事务所按照本办法所指的重大、疑难、复杂诉讼案件与委托人协商收费时，可在《上海市律师服务收费政府指导价标准》规定标准5倍之内（含5倍）确定收费，不得重复累加收费。

三、律师事务所接案时作为一般案件接受委托，开展具体代理工作后发现属于重大、疑难、复杂诉讼案件的，律师事务所可以在办案过程中及时与委托人协商，协商变更委托代理（收费）合同或重新签订委托代理（收费）合同。

四、委托人与律师事务所双方在委托代理（收费）合同签订后对是否为重大、疑难、复杂诉讼案件仍有争议且不能协商一致的，双方可以向上海市律师协会申请调解，也可以申请仲裁或者向人民法院提起诉讼。