Contingent fees, called “success charges” by German lawyers who have been billing indemnification or restitution claimants on the basis of how much money they succeeded in getting for their clients, were outlawed here today in a decision by the Supreme Court, West Germany’s highest tribunal.
The decision may have a far-reaching effect on the net sums to be received by claimants, all of whom are victims of nazism, the vast majority of them Jews. In ruling on an appeal against such a “success fee” charged by a German attorney, the court declared that “the charging of exorbitant fees is contrary to the spirit of the Restitution Law.
The court stated that, while “contingent” or “success” fees may be customary in other countries, they are illegal in the Federal Republic of Germany.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
