The Law Society of Zimbabwe (LSZ) has released a circular detailing new tariffs to be charged by lawyers.
The tariffs range from ZWL$180 to $2 100 per hour from the least to the most qualified lawyer. The new tariffs are with effect from next month. Part of the circular reads:
Thus party and party fees in civil litigation, conveyance fees, collection commissions and deceased estate administration fees are not covered by this tariff whereas legal practitioner and client fees in civil litigation and fees for criminal and general non-litigious work are covered.
A Chronicle report has outlined some of the new tariffs announced by the LSZ. It reads:
Fees for an uncontested divorce cases shot up by more than 100 per cent from RTGS$3 600 to RTGS$7 200 for the plaintiff. A defendant in an uncontested divorce case will now have to part with RTGS$4 800.
Unregistered law graduates whose names are recorded by the Law Society are expected to charge between RTGS$180 and RTGS$360 while those with less than one year experience will charge from RTGS $300 to RTGS$450 and those with two to four years’ experience are supposed to charge from RTGS$420 to RTGS$720.
The document also stated that those who have been in practice for between five to nine years are now required to charge from RTGS$510 to RTGS$900 and from 10 to 14 years it’s now between RTGS$750 and RTGS$1 260 per hour.
Those with experience ranging between 15 and 19 years will charge from RTGS $900 and RTGS$1 620 and those with 20 to 29 years’ experience are expected to charge RTGS$1 050 to RTGS$1 860 per hour.
The most experienced lawyers with 30 years and above are expected to charge as from RTGS$1 200.00 to RTGS$2 100 per hour.