Since 1 January 2026 lawyers' fees in Montenegro have been set by the new Bar Association tariff. A lawyer is paid per step: a lawsuit in a dispute worth up to €1,000 costs €100, and so does each hearing; in a divorce it is €250 per step, and a criminal defence for an offence punishable by up to three years in prison costs €200. If you agree an hourly rate, it cannot be lower than €125, and an agreed fee may range from 50% to five times the tariff amount. The amounts exclude VAT, which a VAT-registered lawyer adds.
The tariff was adopted by the Montenegrin Bar Association with the Government's consent, published in Official Gazette 132/2025 and supplemented in 153/2025, and it replaced the 2017 tariff. This guide explains how the fee is calculated, what disputes cost by value, unvalued cases, criminal defence, advice and contracts, travel costs and surcharges.
How is a lawyer's fee calculated?
- The fee is paid for each step: a filing, a hearing, an appeal or advice; the tariff amounts already include a 25% lump sum for ancillary work.
- The client and lawyer can agree a flat fee, a percentage or an hourly rate, but the hourly rate cannot be lower than €125 for each hour started.
- The fee can be agreed below or above the tariff, but not below 50% or above five times the amount for that step.
- The client pays the lawyer regardless of the outcome unless agreed otherwise, and a court calculates the costs of the winning party under the tariff, not under the agreement.
- The fee is normally paid after the step is done, but the lawyer may ask for an advance; at the client's request the lawyer must provide a written calculation.
How much does a lawsuit cost by the value of the dispute?
| Value of the dispute | Fee per step |
| Up to €1,000 | €100 |
| €1,001 to €5,000 | €150 |
| €5,001 to €10,000 | €175 |
| €10,001 to €25,000 | €200 |
| €25,001 to €40,000 | €250 |
| €40,001 to €60,000 | €300 |
| €60,001 to €100,000 | €400 |
| €100,001 to €200,000 | €500 |
| €200,001 to €300,000 | €600 |
| €900,001 to €1,000,000 | €1,300 |
- Between €300,000 and €1,000,000 the fee rises by €100 for every €100,000, and above €1,000,000 by €100 for every €100,000 started, up to a maximum of €3,500 per step.
- Each hearing earns the same amount as a filing, and a hearing that does not take place earns 50%.
- Appeals and other legal remedies are charged double, and every hour of a step after the first costs 25% more.
What do a divorce, an administrative case and other unvalued cases cost?
| Case | Fee per step |
| Divorce, maintenance, custody of children, paternity | €250 |
| Property dispute, disturbance of possession, easement | €300 |
| Registration in the business register | €400 |
| Administrative procedure and administrative dispute | €350 |
| Misdemeanour proceedings | €250 |
| Employment, housing and lease disputes | €175 |
| Proceedings before the Constitutional Court | €500 |
| Proceedings before the European Court of Human Rights | €1,500 |
How much does a criminal defence cost?
| Prescribed penalty | Fee per step |
| A fine or up to 3 years in prison | €200 |
| 3 to 5 years in prison | €300 |
| 5 to 10 years in prison | €400 |
| Over 10 years in prison | €500 |
| Long-term imprisonment | €1,000 |
- The same amounts apply to representing the injured party and a private prosecutor, and the fee rises by 50% for each further offence.
- Appeals and other legal remedies are charged double.
What do advice, a contract and a warning letter cost?
- Oral legal advice costs 50%, and written advice 100%, of the amount the tariff sets for that type of case.
- Drafting a contract or another document is charged by the value of the transaction, the same as a filing.
- A warning letter, letter or request costs 50%, and obtaining an extract from public registers 20% of the basic fee.
| Example | Fee under the tariff, excluding VAT |
| Warning letter before suing for a €3,000 debt | €75 |
| Lawsuit for €20,000 and two hearings | €600 |
| Oral advice on buying a €150,000 flat | €250 |
| Draft contract for buying a €150,000 flat | €500 |
| Divorce petition and one hearing | €500 |
Which costs and surcharges are added?
- For work more than 10 km from the office the lawyer earns €20 for every hour of absence started, up to eight hours a day.
- The per diem for a trip of more than 30 km is €35, and use of the lawyer's own car is charged at 30% of the price of a litre of petrol per kilometre.
- The fee rises by 100% for required work at night or at weekends and on holidays, and by 200% for night work at weekends or on holidays.
- Court fees, translations and other documented costs are charged separately.
What a notary does when you buy a flat is explained in our guide to the notary purchase contract, divorce and property division in our guide to divorce and marital property, and inheritance in our guide to probate. How an advokat-led file works for foreign clients is explained by RoNa Legal.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a lawyer cost per hour in Montenegro? If an hourly rate is agreed, it cannot be lower than €125 for each hour started, excluding VAT.
How much does a lawsuit cost? It depends on the value of the dispute: from €100 for a dispute up to €1,000 to €1,300 for a dispute up to one million euros, per step.
How much does a lawyer cost for a divorce? Under the tariff €250 for the petition and the same for each hearing, excluding VAT.
How much does legal advice cost? Oral advice costs half, and written advice the full amount the tariff sets for that type of case.
Can you negotiate a lower price with a lawyer? Yes, but not below 50% of the tariff amount for that step, nor above five times the amount.
Is VAT charged on a lawyer's fee? Yes, if the lawyer is registered for VAT, and it is added to the tariff amounts.
Sources
Fees and cost reimbursement are set by the Montenegrin Bar Association tariff (Official Gazette 132/2025, Articles 1 to 11 and tariff numbers 1 to 18), with the amendment and supplement of 153/2025, applied from 1 January 2026. The tariff is adopted by the Montenegrin Bar Association under Article 15 of the Law on the Legal Profession, with the Government's prior consent. The information was checked on 26 September 2026. Fijaka is a classifieds platform; this article is not legal advice.