Legal services: types of work and how the fee is calculated
In brief: Legal work is not one service but several different kinds of work, which differ both in what they cover and in how they are charged. Advice is paid for differently from a pleading, a pleading differently from representation at a hearing, and an in-depth analysis differently from a one-off check of a contract. This page separates those kinds of work; the overview by area of law is on the page practice areas: which law and which court.
- The basis of the work: a power of attorney, general or special, together with an agreement on the provision of legal assistance.
- Charging for steps in proceedings: by points, under the attorney tariff.
- Charging for advice: by the hour or a flat fee, by written agreement.
- Point value in the FBiH: 6.50 KM in 2026.
- Separate from the fee: court fees, expert witnesses, the notary, translation, travel costs.
Law Office Prnjavorac in Tuzla provides complete legal services throughout the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina, before the courts and authorities in the Federation of BiH, Republika Srpska and the Brcko District. We represent domestic clients and the diaspora in litigation, enforcement, non-contentious and administrative proceedings, draft and review contracts and provide legal advice in Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian, English and German. Our services cover the whole of Bosnia and Herzegovina, including its 15 largest cities: Sarajevo, Banja Luka, Tuzla, Zenica, Bijeljina, Mostar, Prijedor, Brcko, Doboj, Cazin, Zvornik, Zivinice, Bihac, Travnik and Gracanica.
Types of legal work
A client usually asks for the solution of a problem, not for an individual step. Yet in practice every case breaks down into concrete pieces of work, and only from that list can it be seen how long the work really takes and what it costs. The overview below shows nine kinds of work the office performs, what each covers and on what principle it is charged.
| Type of work | What it covers | Charging |
|---|---|---|
| Legal advice | An oral or written opinion on a specific question, an assessment of the prospects and the risks, an answer to the question whether it makes sense to bring proceedings at all. | by the hour or a flat fee |
| Drafting and review of documents | Contracts, agreements, statements, powers of attorney, objections and requests addressed to authorities. Review of someone else’s draft contract before signing. | flat fee, according to complexity |
| Representation in litigation | Claim or defence to a claim, preliminary hearing, main hearing, motions for evidence, appeal and reply to an appeal, and where needed a request for review. | by points, per step |
| Enforcement proceedings | Request for enforcement, choice of the means and object of enforcement, objection and appeal, monitoring of collection until satisfaction. | by points, per step |
| Non-contentious and probate proceedings | Probate proceedings, division, settlement of boundaries, restoration of the previous land register position and other non-contentious proceedings. | by points, per step |
| Administrative procedure and administrative dispute | Requests and appeals before administrative authorities and, once the administrative remedies are exhausted, a claim in an administrative dispute. | by points, per step |
| Land register and cadastral matters | Checking the land register and cadastral position, requests for registration, deletion and correction, harmonising the actual and the registered position. | flat fee, according to volume |
| In-depth legal analysis | A systematic check of the legal position of a property, a company or a transaction, with a list of the risks identified and proposed measures. | flat fee, according to volume |
| Proceedings with a foreign element | Recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments, representation of foreign nationals, appeal to the Constitutional Court of BiH and application to the European Court of Human Rights. | by points, per step |
How the fee is calculated
The fee for a lawyer’s work is not arbitrary. Steps in court and administrative proceedings are charged under the tariff, in points, and the value of a point is set by the bar association. In the Federation of BiH the value of a point in 2026 is 6.50 KM, and in Republika Srpska 3.00 KM. Work that does not consist of steps in proceedings, such as advice and legal analysis, is charged by the hour or at a flat fee, by written agreement before the work begins.
A detailed overview of the tariff, with worked examples, is on the page attorney tariff. The way the fee is agreed in a particular case is described on the contact page.
What is not the attorney fee
This is the item clients most often overlook, and are then surprised by. Alongside the fee for the lawyer’s work, every proceeding involves costs that belong not to the lawyer but to third parties, and are paid separately.
- Court fees. Paid on the claim, on the judgment, on the request for enforcement and on the legal remedy, under the fee tariff of the court before which the proceedings are conducted.
- Expert witness costs. Where an expert in construction, medicine, finance or another field is needed, the fee is advanced by the party that proposed the expert evidence.
- Notarial costs. Notarial processing of a document on a real estate transaction, certification of signatures and copies are charged under the notary tariff.
- Translation and sworn interpreter. Documents in a foreign language are submitted in a translation by a sworn interpreter, and the translation is paid for separately.
- Obtaining documents. Land register extracts, cadastral possession sheets, extracts from the civil registers and certificates of authorities are charged under the tariffs of those authorities.
- Travel and absence from the office. Hearings outside the seat of the office carry travel costs and a fee for absence from the office, which are regulated separately in the tariff.
These costs form part of the costs of the proceedings, and the court decides on their reimbursement in the judgment, as a rule according to success in the dispute. That means the successful party may recover its costs from the opponent, but it does not change the obligation to advance them during the proceedings.
General or special power of attorney
A lawyer acts on the basis of a power of attorney. There are two forms, and the difference between them is not a formality.
- A special power of attorney is given for a precisely defined step or a precisely defined proceeding, for example representation in one civil case or the filing of one request. When that work is done, the power of attorney is exhausted.
- A general power of attorney covers representation in several matters and before several authorities, so it does not have to be renewed for every new step. It is used by clients who have several cases pending or who do not live in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Clients abroad sign the power of attorney before a notary in the state of residence or at a diplomatic or consular mission of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and for states party to the Hague Convention of 1961 an Apostille is sufficient. The text of the power of attorney is prepared by the office and adapted to the particular proceeding. The procedure is described on the contact page, and the certification itself on the page on the Apostille.
How long the work takes
It is fair to say that the duration does not depend on the lawyer alone. The time limits for the parties’ steps are prescribed by law and can be planned, but the pace of the court, the scheduling of hearings, service and expert evidence are not in the representative’s hands. What can be promised is that a step with a time limit never waits until the last day, and that the client knows in advance which time limit is running.
- Work without proceedings is the fastest. Review of a contract, drafting of a document or a written opinion are done within a period agreed in advance, because they do not depend on third parties.
- Proceedings before administrative authorities depend on the authority. Statutory time limits exist, but in practice they are extended by requests to complete the documentation.
- Litigation is the least predictable. The number of hearings, the need for expert evidence and the workload of the court differ from case to case.
- Enforcement depends on the debtor. The proceedings are started quickly, but collection depends on whether the debtor has assets and income from which satisfaction can be obtained.
What the office does not take on
Law Office Prnjavorac does not take on cases in criminal and labour law, cases in which a conflict of interest would arise, or representation before courts outside Bosnia and Herzegovina. In cross-border cases the office conducts the Bosnian part of the proceedings, in cooperation with a lawyer in the other state. A conflict-of-interest check is made before every case is taken on, so the exact name of the opposing party is requested with the first enquiry.
The areas in which these services are provided include commercial law, debt collection, notarial matters, real estate, commercial and international commercial disputes, property and legal relations, family and inheritance law, international private law and banking law and finance. A complete overview by area of law is on the page practice areas.
Frequently asked questions about legal services
The questions we are asked most often about the types of legal work and the way the fee is calculated.
How are legal services provided?
Legal services are provided on the basis of a separate agreement concluded with the client on an individual matter or a group of matters, together with a power of attorney for the specific step or a general power of attorney.
Which legal services does Law Office Prnjavorac offer?
We offer representation in litigation, enforcement and administrative proceedings, the drafting and review of contracts, legal advice, debt collection, real estate matters and inheritance and tax cases, throughout the territory of BiH.
How long does it take to resolve a legal matter?
The duration depends on the type and complexity of the matter and on the competent court. Simpler matters are resolved quickly, while more complex disputes require more time, patience and mutual trust.
How is the fee for a lawyer’s work determined?
The fee is calculated under the attorney tariff and the nature of the work, and is specified in the agreement before any steps are taken.
What types of legal work are distinguished and how are they charged?
The types distinguished are legal advice, the drafting and review of documents, representation in litigation, enforcement proceedings, non-contentious and probate proceedings, administrative procedure and administrative dispute, land register and cadastral matters, in-depth legal analysis, and proceedings with a foreign element. Steps in court and administrative proceedings are charged by points under the attorney tariff, while advice and analysis are charged by the hour or at a flat fee, by written agreement before the work begins.
What is the value of a point under the attorney tariff?
In the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina the value of a point in 2026 is 6.50 KM, and in Republika Srpska 3.00 KM. The value of a point is set by the bar association, so it changes from time to time. A detailed overview of the tariff with worked examples is on the page on the attorney tariff.
Which costs are not the attorney fee?
Alongside the fee for the lawyer’s work there are costs that belong not to the lawyer but to third parties: court fees, expert witness costs, notarial costs, translation and sworn interpreter, charges for obtaining documents from the land register, the cadastre and the civil registers, and travel costs for hearings outside the seat of the office. These costs form part of the costs of the proceedings and the court decides on their reimbursement in the judgment, as a rule according to success in the dispute, but they are advanced during the proceedings.
What is the difference between a general and a special power of attorney?
A special power of attorney is given for a precisely defined step or a precisely defined proceeding and is exhausted when that work is done. A general power of attorney covers representation in several matters and before several authorities, so it does not have to be renewed for every new step; it is used by clients who have several cases pending or who do not live in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
How is a power of attorney signed from abroad?
The power of attorney is signed before a notary in the state of residence or at a diplomatic or consular mission of Bosnia and Herzegovina. For states party to the Hague Convention of 1961 an Apostille is sufficient. The text of the power of attorney is prepared by the office and adapted to the particular proceeding; the original is sent by post, and the preparation begins on the basis of a scanned copy.
Why does the lawyer ask for the name of the opposing party before taking on a case?
Because of the conflict-of-interest check, which is made before every case is taken on. A lawyer may not represent a client against a party they already represent or have represented in a related matter, so the exact name and address of the opposing party are requested with the first enquiry.
Clients have trusted us since 1993.
The law office Prnjavorac has been active since 1993. Today, in its fourth decade of work, it has 1,056 Google reviews with a rating of 5.0 / 5 across two independent Google business profiles.
All client reviews are publicly available on both Google business profiles, without filtering, mediation or moderation by the law office.
Other areas of the firm's work
We provide legal assistance and representation across a wide range of areas in Bosnia and Herzegovina:
