Relationship between client and attorney.
Most people are only familiar with the work of a lawyer from TV series. The following explanations are intended to give you a better understanding of the client-lawyer relationship between the client and his or her lawyer at Spühler Rechtsanwälte AG.
In many cases, it is advisable to consult a lawyer at an early stage in order to avoid loss of rights or legal disputes that require a lot of time, money and nerves.
In Switzerland, it is generally possible to contest court or official proceedings without legal representation. However, due to the usually strictly formalistic nature of the proceedings, small formal errors can lead to a loss of rights. There is also a high cost risk. Therefore, the involvement of a lawyer in proceedings should always be considered. It also increases the chances that legal claims can be enforced.
Not sure if you need a lawyer? Contact Spühler Rechtsanwälte AG and receive an initial assessment of your problem!
Contact Spühler Rechtsanwälte AG without obligation. If your case cannot be accepted due to a lack of capacity or expertise, a suitable lawyer will be recommended to you.
As a rule, a lawyer from Spühler Rechtsanwälte AG is mandated according to the following scheme:
You fill out the appointment form
You can register for an appointment using a form. Alternatively, you can also contact us by telephone .
We will call you to arrange an appointment
After receiving your request, we will call you within two working days to arrange a meeting and clarify any uncertainties. If we are unable to accept the case due to lack of capacity or expertise, we will send you an e-mail recommending appropriate attorneys.
We will confirm the appointment by e-mail
After our phone call, you will receive an e-mail from the person handling the case confirming the appointment, as well as a list of required documents, if any, which we need to evaluate the case and which you should please bring with you to the first meeting. Please check your spam folder if you have not received the confirmation within two working days.
You make an advance payment of CHF 350.00
Until the financing can be clarified at the first meeting, Spühler Rechtsanwälte AG is obliged by the rules of the legal profession to secure the expenses by means of advance payments. For the first meeting, an advance of CHF 350.00 must be paid in advance by bank transfer or at the latest by cash payment at the meeting (no card payment possible). No payment is required if legal expenses insurance or a victim counseling center has approved the costs.
Meeting at our law firm in Zurich
During the meeting, an initial assessment of your problem can be made, the next steps discussed and the financing of future legal expenses explained. Please take all relevant documents with you on the day of the meeting. You can find directions to our law firm on this website. A meeting is also possible by telephone or video call.
The legal profession is subject to strict legal and professional rules . The professional associations and state supervisory authorities ensure compliance with these standards.
Important cornerstones are the attorney-client privilege and the independence of the lawyer from third parties, such as companies, other lawyers and state institutions.
All information that the lawyer receives from his clients in the course of his professional activity is subject to attorney-client privilege, which is protected by criminal and disciplinary law. This information may not be passed on to third parties or the state without the client’s consent. Nor can they be demanded by the state. The attorney-client privilege covers in particular correspondence, files and even the fact that a client is part of an attorney’s client base.
The lawyer should be committed solely to the interests of the client. If a conflict of interest arises, the lawyer must resign from the mandate.
Contact details
Spühler Rechtsanwälte AG General-Wille-Strasse 19 CH-8002 Zürich
+41 43 344 05 05
info@spuehler.legal
Accessibility
The telephone of Spühler Rechtsanwälte AG is operated from Monday to Friday, from 8:00 to 12:00 and from 13:30 to 17:00. Outside business hours or if we are unable to take your call, you can leave us a message by e-mail (info@spuehler.legal).
E-mail and electronic communication
For technical reasons, communication by e-mail is not always reliable or confidential, which is beyond the control of Spühler Rechtsanwälte AG. Although e-mails are processed regularly, the receipt of e-mails can be disrupted or faulty for technical or operational reasons.
Communication by e-mail with Spühler Rechtsanwälte AG is deemed to constitute consent to communicate by e-mail.
Meeting dates
We would be happy to arrange a meeting with you. Please use the corresponding online form. Please note that we can only receive you by prior appointment.
We recommend that you do not bring children to the meeting if possible. Attending such meetings can be very stressful for children, especially if there is a conflict with another parent.
Spühler Rechtsanwälte AG charges its fees according to the time spent plus statutory value-added tax and a 3% flat rate for small expenses. Other necessary expenses, such as interpreter or travel costs, will also be charged. Information on the specific costs can be found under“Fees“.
Invoices for larger expenses (advance court costs, debt collection costs, land register extracts, etc.) are forwarded directly to the client for payment. Late payment of such invoices, in particular advances for court costs, may have legal disadvantages for the client.
The client has the right to be informed of the lawyer’s fees and procedural costs at the outset and to receive regular statements of account. It may request information about the legal fees incurred at any time. The total costs of a case can hardly be reliably predicted, as unforeseeable circumstances may result in expenses. The situation must always be reassessed.
In order to secure compensation for expenses, Spühler Rechtsanwälte AG regularly requests advances on costs. This also offers the client cost control. In certain cases, an advance on costs may be waived.
If a person lacks the financial means to finance court proceedings in addition to the maintenance for themselves and their family and the proceedings do not appear to have no prospect of success, the state will grant free litigation. If legal representation is required to safeguard legal interests in this context, the state will pay for a lawyer for the party in need. In criminal proceedings, the official (free) defense is granted unless it is a simple case. If the financial situation improves significantly after the court or criminal proceedings, the state can reclaim the expenses.
Spühler Rechtsanwälte AG waives advances on costs in the event of obviously poor financial circumstances. It should be noted that proceedings must be initiated for the granting of free legal assistance and legal representation. If the free administration of justice is not granted or the proceedings are not initiated, the client must pay the fee invoice himself according to the usual rates.
If legal fees are covered by the state, only necessary legal advice and legal representation will be compensated. Excessive legal expenses for social and administrative support are not paid. The expenses must be proportionate to the complexity of the case.
The law firm Spühler Rechtsanwälte AG also works together with legal expenses insurers. After you have clarified whether we can take on the case by requesting an appointment, you should register your case immediately and personally with the legal expenses insurance company and clarify whether insurance cover exists. Inform the insurance company by which person of Spühler Rechtsanwälte AG you wish to be represented. The legal expenses insurance will then issue a cost credit for individual (procedural) steps. You have no cost risk within the cost estimate. Services that go beyond the cost approval or are not covered by the insurance policy are subject to a charge for the client.
Please refer to the information sheet of the Swiss Bar Association.
Conducting civil court proceedings is associated with further costs in addition to legal fees. The party initiating the proceedings usually has to advance the court costs. The losing party in a lawsuit must pay the court costs and pay compensation to the winning party. As a rule, the party compensation does not cover the lawyer’s fees. The court costs and party compensation are calculated according to the value of the matter in dispute (amount in dispute). You can find a calculator as a guide (without guarantee) for the calculation of court costs and party compensation in the Canton of Zurich on the website of the Zurich courts.
The granting of free administration of justice releases the party from the payment of advances on costs and court costs, but not from the payment of party compensation.
Legal expenses insurance can cover court costs and party compensation.
Other administrative and court proceedings outside of civil law can also be associated with costs.
Your availability and changes to your contact details
It is important that you can be reached within a reasonable time. After notification of representation to private individuals and authorities, correspondence and decisions can be sent to the lawyer with legal validity. If necessary, a response must be made within a certain period of time (e.g. appeal). In most cases, missing a deadline means a loss of rights. Please always inform us in good time of any vacation absences and changes to contact details. You are requested to notify Spühler Rechtsanwälte AG of any changes to your contact details even after the case has been closed.
Duration of the procedure
As soon as lawyers and/or authorities/courts are involved in a legal case, the settlement of a legal case requires a lot of patience. Authorities and courts need a lot of time to do their work and are sometimes overloaded. Lawyers usually have numerous cases pending, and work must be prioritized according to urgency. As a rule, you will receive correspondence and decisions from authorities and counterparties as quickly as possible.
Contact by the other party and authorities
If you have decided to be represented by Spühler Rechtsanwälte AG, it is strongly recommended that you do not make any statements in connection with the case when contacted by third parties (opposing party, opposing counsel, authorities, courts, etc.) and refer third parties to Spühler Rechtsanwälte AG. This ensures that your representative is informed of all the circumstances of the case and that no actions are taken that could result in legal disadvantages.
As soon as legal representation is reported, authorities, courts and lawyers are generally required to contact your legal representative exclusively.
Changes to shared online access data
Please note that if you separate or divorce from your partner, you should change the passwords for all communication channels and online services (especially e-mail, Facebook, Linkedin, Xing, e-banking, including synchronizations such as iCloud).
It is also possible that your mobile device, tablet, computer, etc. is synchronized with the cloud and that the other party can read the electronic communication or documents, which can be to your disadvantage in settlement negotiations and proceedings. The same applies in connection with other counterparties with whom electronic infrastructures are shared.
Extraordinary termination of the mandate
In principle, a client relationship with a lawyer can be terminated at any time without notice. However, it is not possible to terminate the client relationship at an inopportune time. This means, for example, that a lawyer cannot resign two days before the court hearing so that the client has no opportunity to find a replacement.
The lawyer may terminate the mandate if the client does not pay his fee. If there is a conflict of interest, a lawyer must terminate the client relationship by law.
Ordinary termination of the mandate
The order ends properly with the settlement of the matter.
Case closure upon termination of the mandate
To close the case, you will be contacted by Spühler Rechtsanwälte AG with a corresponding note to clarify the final questions and officially close the case. Please note that if your case was funded by an insurance company or by the state, you will have to pay the legal fees yourself after the case is concluded.
Your case will be comprehensively documented electronically at Spühler Rechtsanwälte AG. This means that all of our paper files are also digitized and stored electronically. The data is stored on our own specially secured server, to which only our employees and no third parties (including IT support) have access.
During the course of the mandate, you will always receive all the documents we receive for your files.
You can view your electronic dossier at any time.
Your data will be archived exclusively electronically by Spühler Rechtsanwälte AG for at least 10 years after the conclusion of your case and then deleted without notification.
For further questions, please contact the law firm Spühler Rechtsanwälte AG.