Ruskov and Colleagues law firm and Legaltrek - developer of software programs for the administration of law offices - created this calculator for calculating attorneys' fees and court taxes payable for proceedings before the Bulgarian courts. The attorneys' fees are based on Ordinance № 1 from 09.07.2004 for the minimum amount of attorneys’ fees (State Gazette № 64 of 23.07.2004, amended with State Gazette № 28 of 28/03/2014) Here we want to emphasize that the attorneys’ fees in respect to article 1 of the Ordinance, are a matter of negotiation between the attorney and the client. The minimum can’t be less than the specified in the Ordinance for the respective legal services. Negotiating higher fees is always possible.
When creating the calculator we did not take into account these legal services, which have as basis a flat fee according to the Ordinance –for instance – the fee for verbal advice is 20 leva (art. 6, point 1), for divorce 600 leva (art. 7, para. 2, point 1), and so on. These fees can be found directly in the Ordinance and are not subject to calculation.
Have in mind that the attorney’s fees are calculated based on the interest for each individual case. For example, for drawing up a contract, the base interest when calculating the attorney’s fees will be the amount set forth in the contract as the price for the services. For a court procedure – the amount specified in the claim (capital, penalties and interest, other expenses).
How to use the calculator:
I. Put down the interest for your case – for example BGN 15 000.
II. Check the box for the respective legal service you need – for example drawing up a written contract or drawing up a title deed for ownership. If you wish to have more than one service, for example drawing up a preliminary contract for sale of real estate (art. 19 of the Law of obligations and contracts) and drawing up a title deed for ownership, check the two boxes and the calculator will give you the total amount of attorneys’ fees for the two services.
III. When checking the attorneys’ fees for civil and administrative cases, the calculator also gives you the respective court taxes, according to Tariff for state taxes, collected by the courts by the Bulgarian code for procedures (State Gazette № 22 from 28.02.2008, in force from 01.03.2008, amended with State Gazette № 24 from 12.03.2013) and Tariff № 1 issued on the grounds of the Law for state taxes, collected by the courts, the prosecutors’ office and the Ministry of justice (approved with Act of the Minister council № 167 from 28.08.1992, published in the State Gazette № 71 from 01.09.1992 and amended with State Gazette № 88 from 08.10.2013.)
IV. Multiplier – the client and the attorney can negotiate that the attorneys’ fees will be higher than the minimum set in the Ordinance. Often times in the written agreement for legal services it is stated that the attorneys’ fees will be calculated for example by multiplying the minimum as it is in the Ordinance by 1,5. By putting this number in the multiplier’s section, the calculator will give you the attorneys’ fees. This number can’t be less than 1 (0,5 for example is not possible), because of art. 1 from the Ordinance, which states fees below the minimum set by the Ordinance are not to be negotiated.
V. VAT – a lot of attorneys and law firms have VAT registration. Due to this, they are obliged to add additional 20 percent to their fees as VAT. This money is calculated in a separate section of the calculator. It is advisable to check with your attorney weather he or she has VAT registration before signing the agreement for legal services.
Note: Please do not direct questions to us for matters regarding the calculation of attorneys’ fees, please ask directly your attorney. If you find a technical error in the calculations or any inaccuracies between the calculator and the Ordinance, please contact us by mail at office@ruskov-law.eu. Your remark will be duly checked and if there is in fact an error/inaccuracy it will be fixed as soon as possible.