German litigation economics combine court fees (Gerichtskosten), statutory counsel fees under the RVG, and variable spend on experts and document review. Below are illustrative bands for planning — not quotes for your matter. Funders use these orders of magnitude in DACH underwriting before mapping to the full cost stack.
Keywords: Germany litigation cost, RVG fees, Streitwert, Gerichtskosten, litigation funder DACH
Order-of-magnitude bands (EUR)
| Stage | Low | High | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| First instance (mid Streitwert) | €120k | €280k | Counsel + court + core experts |
| Document review (100k pages) | €400k | €900k | See review curve |
| Appeal tranche | €60k | €150k | Incremental, not full re-run |
| Internal PM + data room | €40k | €120k | Internal costs |
RVG and Streitwert (plain language)
Statutory counsel fees scale with Streitwert — the value assigned to the dispute for fee tables. Actual damages pursuit may differ from Streitwert for fee purposes. Funders ask counsel for RVG fee projections at pleaded and counterfactual Streitwert bands. Court fees (Gerichtskosten) follow separate tables — include both in external stack, not counsel invoice alone.
Variables that move the band
- Streitwert and RVG caps — appeals may reset bands
- Number of parties and coordination counsel (Musterklage-style matters)
- Expert battles — IT, financial, medical — single joint vs adversarial
- Settlement timing vs motion practice — interlocutory spend
- Cross-border evidence — translation and disclosure friction with UK proceedings
Data protection and mass litigation context
DACH funders often see GDPR Art. 82 portfolio matters (see case archive). These add coordination cost and internal PM — brackets above assume commercial bilateral disputes; group claims may need higher internal allocation.
FAQ
Are bands legal advice? No — educational illustration.
CH and UK? Separate jurisdiction posts; Germany here only.
AI impact? Review curve may bend Phase 2 — not eliminate experts.
Enforcement add-on (often forgotten)
Post-judgment Vollstreckung in Germany plus asset pursuit abroad can add €50k–€200k to stack — model separately in phase 5.
Screening DACH matters
AI screening tags merits; RVG bands still need counsel worksheet.
First instance breakdown (illustrative)
Within the €120k–€280k first-instance band, rough shares: counsel 55–65%, court 8–12%, core experts 20–30%, miscellaneous 5–10%. Document review often sits outside as its own tranche when corpus exceeds 50k pages. Berufung band assumes issues narrowed — full rehearing scenarios sit higher.
Comparison to cost stack
These brackets are one jurisdiction slice of the full stack. Add internal PM, post-judgment enforcement, and cross-border layers separately. Funders never fund on RVG table alone.
Extended FAQ
RVG vs actual counsel invoice? Statutory tables are floor/reference — hourly arrangements differ.
Musterklage? Coordination counsel line may dominate — bracket upper range.
Screening?Merits band does not replace RVG worksheet.
Worked example (illustrative)
Mid Streitwert commercial claim, single opponent, 80k pages, one financial expert: first instance €210k external + €85k review slice + €55k internal = €350k planning year-one. Berufung reserve €90k. Enforcement €70k. Total stack €510k ±15% — not legal advice, planning band only.
Glossary
- Streitwert — dispute value for fee tables
- RVG — statutory lawyer fees
- Gerichtskosten — court fees
Related reading on this site
Continue with linked pillars in this article and the blog index. Machine-readable catalogue: llms.txt. Cost stress-test: burn calculator. Live screening: agents section. Questions: [email protected]. All content educational — engage qualified counsel for your matter.
Compare: seven useless spends, cost stack, internal costs.