Hourly fee
The recommended range is EUR 100–200 per hour. The actual rate is negotiated. For hourly billing, the lawyer keeps time records and reports the activities performed and hours worked. Paragraphs 5–6; Annex 1.
CLEAR TERMS BEFORE WE START
Lawyer fees in Chișinău — costs and UAM guidance
How legal assistance fees are determined and how the recommendations of the Bar Association of the Republic of Moldova apply.
Request a fee proposal ↗Decision No. 01-02/05.01.2026
The Decision of the Council of the Bar Association of the Republic of Moldova dated 5 January 2026 amends the recommendations on lawyers’ fees and court reimbursement of legal assistance costs. It includes the recommendations and annexes with calculation examples.
Guidance for negotiation
The amounts below are reference figures from the document, not this office’s price offer. The actual fee, services included and payment terms are agreed with the client and recorded in a written legal assistance agreement. Paragraph 5 expressly allows hourly rates above or below the recommended range.
Read the full decision in Romanian (PDF, 7 pages). Official sources: UAM document and UAM fee guidance. This page is an explanatory translation; consult the Romanian original for the full wording.
Ways of calculating fees
Fixed fee
A fee is agreed for a clearly defined service or scope of work. The agreement identifies whether it covers an action, a stage or a case and which additional services require a separate agreement. Paragraph 7; Annex 2.
Success fee
A fee may be linked to a result clearly defined in the agreement. Paragraph 12 identifies a ceiling of 17% of the claim value as a reasonable reference, while preserving freedom of negotiation and professional ethical requirements. This is neither a guarantee of success nor an automatically applicable percentage. Paragraphs 9–12.
Hourly calculation example
If the agreed rate is EUR 100 per hour and the work takes 2.5 hours, the fee is EUR 250. This is a mathematical illustration, not a consultation or case price. The payment currency, any conversion and tax treatment must be clarified in the agreement.
Fixed-fee examples from Annex 2
These are examples for particular actions, not a single fee for an entire case. The agreed pricing method should not automatically combine hourly and fixed charges for the same work.
| Action | Reference amount | Item |
|---|---|---|
| Attendance at each court hearing or procedural action | From MDL 2,500 | a |
| Initial meeting and the other separately listed activities, including reviewing case materials | From MDL 1,500 per listed action | b |
| Preparing a claim or response, procedural applications, or preparing and filing an appeal or cassation appeal, as applicable | From MDL 3,000 | c |
| Waiting after the first 30 minutes from the scheduled hearing or procedural action | From MDL 500 for each additional hour | e |
| Postponement of a hearing or action the lawyer attended for reasons outside the lawyer’s control | MDL 1,000; not applicable if notified at least one day in advance or if the postponement is attributable to the lawyer | f |
The annex also provides a 25% increase for urgent assistance on rest days or official holidays (h), a 25% increase for the use of a foreign language under the specific conditions in item i, and a MDL 7,000 increase where a case ends through settlement, including mediation or other alternative resolution (j). Read the full conditions and clarify them in the agreement; they are not automatically added to this office’s offer.
What to clarify before signing
- The legal issue, volume of documents, stages and urgent deadlines.
- The services and stages included or excluded.
- The calculation method, agreed amount or rate, payment dates and any conditions for changes.
- Separate costs such as court fees, experts, translations and travel, where applicable. Paragraph 8 covers reimbursement of documented travel costs to another locality.
- For a success fee: the triggering result, calculation base and payment date.
Rates are communicated in good time and agreed terms are recorded in writing. For hourly billing, the activity report shows the work performed. Paragraphs 2–12.
The amount recovered may differ from the fee paid
Chapter III of the recommendations addresses reimbursement based on whether costs are actually incurred, necessary and reasonable. The court determines the recoverable amount in the individual case. A contract and payment do not guarantee full reimbursement by the opposing party.
The agreement, payment documents and a detailed activity and time report help substantiate the request. The court’s reimbursement assessment does not itself change the fee agreed with the client. Paragraph 18 states that success-related fees and costs arising after judgment are generally not awarded by courts. Paragraphs 13–19; applicable procedural rules must be checked for each case.
Request a proposal for your situation
Briefly describe the issue. Once the necessary services are clarified, a fee proposal can be agreed before work begins.
Prepare a request ↗Based on Decision No. 01-02/05.01.2026 and its annexes. Official source consulted on 28 October 2026. This explanation does not replace the terms agreed for your case.