As of July 2025, the hourly rate for lawyers at the Eipre and Partners Law Firm is at least 200 euros, plus VAT.
1. OBJECT OF THE AGREEMENT
1.1. The Office provides the Client with the tasks specified in the Agreement. At the Client’s request, the Office also performs tasks not specified above (hereinafter referred to as “Additional Tasks”), advising the Client on legal matters, representing and defending the Client in court, arbitration, pre-trial proceedings and elsewhere, preparing necessary documents for the Client and performing other actions in the interests of the Client. The performance of additional tasks is subject to the terms and conditions agreed upon by the parties regarding the performance of the Tasks.
1.2. The sworn advocate or sworn advocate’s assistant specified in the Agreement (hereinafter referred to as “Attorney”). All rights and obligations provided for in the Agreement with respect to the Attorney shall also apply to the Firm and vice versa, unless this is inconsistent with the nature of such rights and obligations.
1.3. The Attorney shall have the right to involve other sworn attorneys, senior sworn attorney assistants and sworn attorney assistants working in the Firm in performing his/her duties, whereby sworn attorney assistants shall work under the supervision of the patron. The Attorney shall also have the right to involve other persons working in the Firm or otherwise providing services to the Firm in providing services. All of the aforementioned employees shall work under the supervision of the Attorney and shall not provide services to the Client independently. The persons involved in performing the duties shall have the same rights and obligations as the parties have agreed with respect to the Attorney.
1.4. The Firm is not obliged to provide the Client with information and to correct and supplement the documents prepared in the course of providing legal services in connection with the amendment or repeal of legislation, the development of case law or changes in circumstances after the performance of the Tasks.
2. RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS OF THE PARTIES
2.1. The Client shall provide the Firm with the documents necessary for the performance of the Tasks and shall forward to the Firm the information necessary for the performance of the Tasks. The Client undertakes to cooperate with the Firm, to inform the Firm of all circumstances related to and important for the performance of the Tasks, to submit the documents and positions necessary for the performance of the Tasks on time at the request of the Firm and to perform other actions necessary for the performance of the Tasks. The Client is aware that when providing legal services, the Firm assumes that the information provided by the Client and the accompanying documents are valid, accurate, correct and complete.
2.2. The Advocate has the right to represent and defend the Client in court, in pre-trial proceedings and elsewhere both in Estonia and abroad. If the Advocate needs to prove that he has the right to represent the Client, the Client shall provide the Advocate with a power of attorney. The restrictions on the right of representation shall be agreed in writing.
2.3. The Advocate is independent in providing legal services and is guided by the law, the legal acts and decisions of the bodies of the Bar Association, the requirements of professional ethics of the Advocate, including the Code of Ethics, and good manners and conscience. The Bar Association Act, the Code of Ethics and the Rules of Procedure are available on the Bar Association website.[1]
2.4. The Advocate acts with due diligence in performing his duties, but does not guarantee the achievement of a specific result. The Lawyer is not obliged to correct or supplement the information or opinions provided to the Client or the documents prepared by the Lawyer after the performance of the Work in connection with the amendment or repeal of legislation, the development of case law or any other change in circumstances.
2.5. The Office is obliged to keep confidential the information related to the Client that it has received in connection with the performance of the Agreement. The Client may, with the consent given in a reproducible form in writing, release the Office from the confidentiality obligation. The Parties have agreed that the Office has the right to disclose to third parties the fact that the Client is a client of the Office, on which matters/projects the Office has advised the Client and the general nature of the services provided to the Client. However, the Office undertakes not to disclose the details of the relevant matters/projects (e.g. terms of contracts), unless they have been previously disclosed or the Client has given its consent, nor the amount of the fee paid to the Office.
2.6. The Office has the right to disclose confidential information and documents related to the Client to third parties (including notaries, translators, banks and state institutions) without the Client’s separate consent, if this is necessary for the performance of the Work or if the corresponding obligation arises from the law.
2.7. If the Client’s interests conflict with the interests of another client of the Firm in the same matter or there is a risk of such conflict, the Firm has the right to abandon the performance of the Tasks and terminate the Agreement.
2.8. The Client agrees to the exchange of information electronically via the Internet. The Client confirms that he is aware of the risks associated with the transmission of electronic mail: messages may be lost, confidential and personal information may be intentionally or unintentionally changed, stolen or disclosed to third parties. The Firm is not liable for such risks.
2.9. The Firm is not liable for failure to fulfill obligations if this is due to a cyber attack, intrusion into the Firm’s IT systems or disruptions in the IT systems.
2.10. The Firm has the right to disclose to third parties the fact that the Client is a client of the Firm and the general nature of the services provided to the Client, in connection with which the Firm has provided legal assistance to the Client. However, the Firm undertakes not to disclose the amount of the fee paid to the Firm and the details related to the services and projects provided (e.g. terms of contracts), except for the project price, if this is previously known to the public or if the Client has given its consent.
2.11. After the performance of the Tasks or the termination of the Contract, the Firm shall return to the Client the original documents in the Firm’s possession, unless otherwise agreed. The Firm is not obliged to preserve or make available documents or information related to the completed Task.
2.12. The Firm’s work results may only be used by the Client for the purposes specified in clause 1.1. of the Contract, unless otherwise agreed.
3. PAYMENT OF ATTORNEY’S FEES
3.1. The Client shall pay the Firm for the performance of the Tasks on the basis of an hourly rate, which shall be confirmed upon conclusion of the Contract. VAT shall be added to the price, unless otherwise provided by law. In addition, the Client shall compensate the necessary expenses that the Firm has incurred directly in connection with the performance of the Tasks (e.g. notary fees, state fees, etc.).
3.2. The minimum unit of calculation for the hourly fee is 15 minutes.
3.3. The Firm has the right to unilaterally change the hourly rate specified in clause 3.1 of the Agreement, notifying the Client in writing within a reasonable period of time in a reproducible form of the change in the hourly rate during or before the provision of the legal service. If the Client does not agree to pay a fee for the provision of the legal service based on an hourly rate different from the hourly rate specified in clause 3.1 of the Agreement or agreed upon later between the Parties, either Party has the right to terminate the Agreement.
3.4. The Firm shall periodically submit to the Client an invoice containing the fee for the performance of the Tasks and the related expenses. The Client undertakes to pay the invoice within the time period agreed in the Agreement, starting from the issuance of the invoice by the Firm.
3.4.1. The Client is aware that the Office’s estimates of the cost of the work are not final and are not legally binding on the Office. A fixed price is possible only on the basis of a written agreement.
4. LIABILITY
4.1. If the Client fails to pay the invoice specified in clause 3.3 of the Agreement by the due date, the Office has the right to suspend the performance of the Tasks, demand a late payment interest of 0.5% of the unpaid amount for each day of delay and withhold the documents prepared on the Client’s behalf until the Client pays the invoice in full.
4.2. The Client is obliged to compensate the Office for all additional costs incurred by the Office in connection with the collection of amounts unpaid by the Client by the due date.
4.3. In the event of non-compliance with the terms and conditions of the legal services agreement, the Client may:
4.3.1. demand performance of the obligation;
4.3.2. withdraw from the contract or terminate the contract.
4.4. The Office is liable for direct material damage wrongfully caused to the Client in the performance of the Work Tasks only to the extent of the amount paid for the performance of the Work Tasks. The Office is not liable for lost income and non-material damage. The Client has the right to file a claim for compensation for damage within twelve months of the performance of the relevant Work Tasks. The Office’s liability to the Client is reduced by insurance or damage compensation, unless it is in conflict with the insurance contract or the Client’s rights against the insurer are limited in such a case.
5. APPLICABLE LAW AND DISPUTE RESOLUTION
5.1. The contract is governed by Estonian law.
5.2. The Court of Honor of the Bar Association shall resolve issues related to the justification of the claim for attorney’s fees or legal service costs contested by the Client through conciliation proceedings. The procedure for the court of honor procedure is set out in the Bar Association Act and the Rules of Procedure, which are available on the Bar Association website.[1]
5.3. The Parties shall attempt to resolve disputes arising from the Agreement through negotiations. If disputes arising from the Agreement cannot be resolved through negotiations between the Parties, the disputes shall be resolved in Harju County Court.
6. ENTRY INTO FORCE AND TERMINATION OF THE AGREEMENT
6.1. The Client Agreement shall be valid until the end of the civil proceedings.
6.2. The Agreement shall enter into force from the moment the Office receives the original copy of the Agreement signed by the Client. Upon receipt by the Office of the original copy of the Agreement signed by the Client, the Agreement shall be deemed to have entered into force retroactively from the commencement of the provision of legal services. The Agreement is concluded for an indefinite term.
6.3. The Office may terminate the Agreement without prior notice if:
6.3.1. The Client submits forged evidence and the Lawyer is aware of the forgery of the evidence;
6.3.2. The Client, despite the Lawyer’s explanations, demands that the Lawyer use means or methods contrary to the law to protect the Client’s interests;
6.3.3. The Client demands that the Lawyer act in a manner that is not in accordance with the honor and dignity of the Lawyer or the requirements of professional ethics;
6.3.4. The Client significantly or repeatedly violates the Agreement;
6.3.5. The Client acts contrary to the Lawyer’s instructions or otherwise clearly expresses that he has lost trust in the Lawyer;
6.3.6. The Client gives the Lawyer instructions that are detrimental to the Client’s interests or are apparently useless for the performance of the Tasks and, despite the Lawyer’s explanations, does not abandon the demands to follow these instructions;
6.3.7. The Client does not submit documents or data that the Lawyer requires to comply with the requirements for preventing money laundering and terrorist financing, or the documents and data provided do not eliminate the Lawyer’s suspicion that the purpose of the transaction may be money laundering or terrorist financing.
6.4. The Firm may terminate the Agreement at any time by giving two weeks’ notice to the Client, provided that all Tasks undertaken for execution have been completed. The Client may terminate the Agreement at any time by giving two weeks’ notice to the Firm, having paid all invoices submitted by the Firm. The Parties shall also have the right to terminate the Agreement on other grounds and in accordance with the procedure provided for in the Agreement and legislation. Termination of the Agreement shall not deprive the Firm of the right to remuneration for Tasks already completed or any part thereof.
[1] The Bar Association’s website: www.advokatuur.ee