The Reform of the Rechtsanwaltsvergütungsgesetz (attorney remuneration law = RVG) has been put into force since 1st August 2013
From today, 1st August 2013, the RVG (attorney remuneration law) is put into force. The RVG has been existed since 1st July 2004 and superseded the Bundesrechtsanwaltgebührenordnung (federal code of lawyers’ fees = BRAGO). Most attorneys do their statement of charges on the basis of the regulations of the RVG. Every activity of an attorney is subject to the RVG unless there are other agreements concluded (this is standard for the Rechtsanwaltskanzlei Lexa which withdraws a statement of charges on the basis of RVG). It is interesting that the charges of an attorney hasn’t been raised since 1994 (!) (nor by introducing the RVG) which has been led to a loss of income because of the inflation in Germany. By reforming the RVG the charges has been raised by 7 to 14%. But this can’t compensate the currency devaluation of the last 20 Years.
The increase of charges of the attorneys is accompanied by other increases of charges. For example the charges of notaries because the legislator is carrying out a reform of the 2nd Kostenrechtmodernisierungsgesetz (refurbishment of the whole laws of costs = KostRMoG) (BT.-Drucks. 17/11471). Simultaneously the Prozesskosten- and Verfahrenskostenhilfe (legal aid = PKH) will be renewed by changing the Prozesskostenhilferecht (legal aid law) and the Beratungshilferecht (legal advice law).
