Fees and how lawyers are paid

Name: Samec & partners
Address: Národná 15, Žilina, 010 01, SK
Telephone: +421 904 625 859

For fixed-price services you know in advance what you will pay, including the court fee where we state it. Other matters vary with their complexity, so we agree the fee before any work begins. A non-binding quote usually reaches you within one working day.

Prices valid from 3 October 2026. Court fees under Act No. 71/1992 Coll. as in force from 17 August 2026.

Our prices

Setting up and changing a company

Setting up a limited company (s.r.o.)

€300 lawyer's fee excluding VAT (€369 including VAT)

Plus a court fee of €220, paid to the state and not subject to VAT. In total €520 excluding VAT, €589 including VAT.

What is included

documents under the Commercial Register Act No. 29/2026 Coll., authorised by a lawyer
notification of unregulated trade licences
filing and dealing with the registry court, registration usually within a week of signing
one visit in Žilina required by law, with two identity documents; everything else is handled electronically

Registering or changing the beneficial owner

€50 excluding VAT

No court fee is payable for a beneficial owner filing.

What is included

identifying the beneficial owner
preparing and filing the application with the Commercial Register

Transfer of a business share and sale of a company

from €200 excluding VAT

Plus a court fee of €50 for registering the change.

What is included

share transfer agreement and related documents
the sale of the company including registration of the changes
one visit in Žilina with two identity documents; everything else is handled electronically

Changes in an s.r.o.

quote within one working day director, registered office, business name, shareholders and more

The court fee is €50 per application. Any number of changes can be filed in one application and the fee is paid once.

What is included

one visit in Žilina with two identity documents; documents and filing are handled electronically

Consultation and retainer

Legal consultation

€90 including VAT, at least 30 minutes

In person in Žilina, by video call or by phone. Paid in advance.

What is included

an assessment of your situation
a proposed course of action
an indication of costs

Book a consultation

Monthly legal retainer for businesses

from €500 a month excluding VAT, no minimum term

The price depends on the number of prepaid hours, the agreed response time and the scope of work. We send a quote within one working day; your company ID number and contact details are enough.

What is included

unused hours roll over to the next month
an initial legal audit of the company in the first month
a response time agreed in the contract
work beyond the retainer at a reduced hourly rate
notice to the end of a calendar month

Services without a fixed price

Court litigation, debt recovery, contracts, the public sector partners register (RPVS), property and criminal defence vary with the complexity of the case. We therefore agree the fee in advance, before any work begins.

How a lawyer's fee is set in Slovakia

Lawyers' fees are governed by Decree No. 655/2004 Coll. of the Slovak Ministry of Justice. An agreement with the client comes first (the contractual fee). Without one, the statutory tariff applies (Section 1(2)). The methods below can be combined (Section 2(3)).

Hourly fee Sections 3 and 4

You pay for the time reasonably spent on your matter at the agreed hourly rate. Simple work can be billed in quarter hours started. On request, the bill comes with a breakdown of the work done.

Flat fee Sections 5 and 6

A fixed sum for services over a period, including an open-ended one, or for handling a whole matter. If the engagement ends early, the lawyer is entitled only to a proportionate part.

Success-based fee Sections 7 and 8

A percentage of the value of the matter, at most 20 %. The lawyer is entitled to it only if the client succeeds in full. With partial success the tariff fee applies in proportion to the success, with no success only expenses are reimbursed.

Tariff fee Sections 9 to 11

A basic rate per legal act multiplied by the number of acts. The rate depends on the tariff value, meaning the amount or price at stake. It applies when no other fee has been agreed.

What you pay on top of the fee

Court and administrative fees Act No. 71/1992 Coll.: Paid to the state and not part of the lawyer's fee.
Expenses Sections 15 and 16: For example travel, expert reports, translations or copies. For local telecommunication and transport costs a lawyer may charge a flat one hundredth of the calculation base per legal act, even without a separate agreement.
Compensation for lost time Section 17: If an act takes place outside the lawyer's registered office, the lawyer is entitled to one sixtieth of the calculation base for each half hour of travel started.
VAT Section 18(3): The firm is VAT registered, so VAT is added to the fee and reimbursements.

Worth knowing in litigation: if the court orders the other side to pay your legal costs, the lawyer's fee in that award is calculated under the tariff, not at the amount you agreed (Section 18(1)).

Indicative estimate

Legal fee calculator

Choose what kind of matter it is. We will show you how the fee is set and which amounts are fixed. We always agree the exact fee in advance, before any work starts.

This estimate is indicative only. It is not a quote or legal advice. The actual fee depends on the agreement and the work involved.

The statutory tariff as a benchmark

The tariff is set by the state in the decree and shows what the fee per legal act is based on. Where the value of the matter cannot be expressed in money, where we represent a consumer in a dispute over a consumer contract or an individual in a matter concerning their home, the basic rate is one thirteenth of the calculation base per act (Section 11(1)). Before the Constitutional Court, if the subject cannot be valued in money, it is one quarter (Section 11(3)); in proceedings under the Administrative Court Procedure Code, one sixth (Section 11(4)).

The calculation base is the average monthly wage in the Slovak economy for the first half of the previous year, published by the Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic (Section 1(3)).

Basic rate per legal act by tariff value (Section 10(1))

Tariff value of the matter	Basic rate per act
up to €165.97	€16.60
over €165.97 up to €663.88	€16.60 + €1.66 for every €33.19 or part of it above €165.97
over €663.88 up to €6,638.78	€41.49 + €9.96 for every €331.94 or part of it above €663.88
over €6,638.78 up to €33,193.92	€220.74 + €16.60 for every €1,659.70 or part of it above €6,638.78
over €33,193.92	€486.29 + €6.64 for every €3,319.39 or part of it above €33,193.92

Source: Decree No. 655/2004 Coll. as in force from 1 January 2024, Slov-Lex · Glossary

Common questions about fees

When is the fee paid?

Payment terms are agreed in the contract for legal services. A lawyer may ask for a reasonable advance on the fee and expenses (Section 24(1) of Act No. 586/2003 Coll.). A consultation is paid in advance.

Will I get a breakdown of the hours?

Yes. With an hourly fee, the lawyer provides a time breakdown with the bill on request (Section 4 of Decree No. 655/2004 Coll.).

What if the matter ends earlier than agreed?

With a flat fee, the lawyer is entitled to a proportionate part of the agreed amount (Section 6 of the decree).

Are court fees included in the fee?

No. Court and administrative fees, expert fees and other expenses are paid in addition. For fixed-price services we list the court fee in our prices.

How quickly will I get a quote?

We usually send a non-binding quote within one working day.

Want to know what your matter would cost?

In a consultation we assess the situation and explain how the fee would be set and which fees to expect.

Book a consultation

or call +421 904 625 859