What are the approximate lawyer fees for preparing and submitting a tenancy dispute application due to a claim from the rental agreement, consisting of rent, restoration costs after returning the rental object, as well as collection costs?

March 13, 2025

tenancy law

The amount of attorney fees for the preparation and submission of a rental law mediation application can vary depending on the complexity of the case and the amount in dispute. Typically, a lawyer charges for their services on an hourly basis, with an attorney hour averaging CHF 250 or more (protekta.ch/de/rechtshilfe-anliegen/ratgeber/gerichtskosten-gebuehren... 2). For a mediation procedure in the canton of Bern, with a dispute value of up to CHF 15,000, at least CHF 300 in court costs is incurred, with fees increasing accordingly for a higher amount in dispute (protekta.ch/de/rechtshilfe-anliegen/ratgeber/gerichtskosten-gebuehren... 3). In general, the costs for various stages of the enforcement must be advanced by the creditor, which can vary depending on the amount of the claimed debts (ch.ch/de/steuern-und-finanzen/schulden--betreibungen-und-konkurs/betreibungen/ 2). In summary, you should expect attorney fees to be at least CHF 250 per hour depending on the effort involved. The court costs for the mediation procedure depend on your canton and the amount in dispute, starting at around CHF 300 for low dispute values (protekta.ch/de/rechtshilfe-anliegen/ratgeber/gerichtskosten-gebuehren... 3).

Sources

How much does a court case cost? | Protekta

protekta.ch/de/rechtshilfe-anliegen/ratgeber/gerichtskosten-gebuehren... 3

In most cases, the lawyer fees and court costs constitute the largest part. No wonder, as an hour of legal work costs 250 francs or more. The actual court costs depend on your canton and the type of procedure – and of course also on the amount in dispute.   The following example refers to the fees of a civil procedure in Canton Bern:  Conciliation procedure  A conciliation procedure in Canton Bern costs at least 300 francs for an amount in dispute of up to 15,000 francs. Here too, the rule applies: The higher the amount in dispute, the higher the fee. If the legal dispute is about, for example, 35,000 francs, the fees rise to 800 francs. 

protekta.ch/de/rechtshilfe-anliegen/ratgeber/gerichtskosten-gebuehren... 1

Protekta Homepage Calculate offers Legal advice & concerns Customer portal Menu Guide How much does a court case cost? The 6 most important questions about court costs, procedural fees, and legal protection A legal conflict can quickly become expensive. Especially a court case incurs many costs: Lawyer fees, process costs, and court fees are just a few examples. There are also potential claims for damages if you lose the legal dispute. The good news: A good legal protection insurance covers the costs of a court case in most cases.   How much does a court case cost in Switzerland?  

protekta.ch/de/rechtshilfe-anliegen/ratgeber/gerichtskosten-gebuehren... 2

Switzerland is a high-price island – especially when it comes to court cases. The "Neue Zürcher Zeitung" referred to going to court as a luxury good a few years ago. Generally speaking: The higher the amount in dispute, the more expensive a process is.   In the event that you take legal action, you should expect to incur the following costs:  Lawyer fees  Court costs  Expert fees  Compensation to the opposing party (if you lose the legal dispute) 

protekta.ch/de/rechtshilfe-anliegen/ratgeber/gerichtskosten-gebuehren... 4

Ordinary procedure  In an ordinary procedure, affected individuals have to dig a little deeper into their pockets than in a conciliation procedure. The fees for an amount in dispute of 35,000 francs in Canton Bern average 5,000 francs – for 100,000 francs, it is around 12,000 francs.  Please note that there are large cantonal differences in process costs. Therefore, we recommend that you inquire about the fees directly with your canton.   Do I have to pay an advance to the court? 

How much does a court case cost? | Protekta

protekta.ch/de/rechtshilfe-anliegen/ratgeber/gerichtskosten-gebuehren... 3

In most cases, the lawyer fees and court costs constitute the largest part. No wonder, as an hour of legal work costs 250 francs or more. The actual court costs depend on your canton and the type of procedure – and of course also on the amount in dispute.   The following example refers to the fees of a civil procedure in Canton Bern:  Conciliation procedure  A conciliation procedure in Canton Bern costs at least 300 francs for an amount in dispute of up to 15,000 francs. Here too, the rule applies: The higher the amount in dispute, the higher the fee. If the legal dispute is about, for example, 35,000 francs, the fees rise to 800 francs. 

protekta.ch/de/rechtshilfe-anliegen/ratgeber/gerichtskosten-gebuehren... 1

Protekta Homepage Calculate offers Legal advice & concerns Customer portal Menu Guide How much does a court case cost? The 6 most important questions about court costs, procedural fees, and legal protection A legal conflict can quickly become expensive. Especially a court case incurs many costs: Lawyer fees, process costs, and court fees are just a few examples. There are also potential claims for damages if you lose the legal dispute. The good news: A good legal protection insurance covers the costs of a court case in most cases.   How much does a court case cost in Switzerland?  

protekta.ch/de/rechtshilfe-anliegen/ratgeber/gerichtskosten-gebuehren... 2

Switzerland is a high-price island – especially when it comes to court cases. The "Neue Zürcher Zeitung" referred to going to court as a luxury good a few years ago. Generally speaking: The higher the amount in dispute, the more expensive a process is.   In the event that you take legal action, you should expect to incur the following costs:  Lawyer fees  Court costs  Expert fees  Compensation to the opposing party (if you lose the legal dispute) 

protekta.ch/de/rechtshilfe-anliegen/ratgeber/gerichtskosten-gebuehren... 4

Ordinary procedure  In an ordinary procedure, affected individuals have to dig a little deeper into their pockets than in a conciliation procedure. The fees for an amount in dispute of 35,000 francs in Canton Bern average 5,000 francs – for 100,000 francs, it is around 12,000 francs.  Please note that there are large cantonal differences in process costs. Therefore, we recommend that you inquire about the fees directly with your canton.   Do I have to pay an advance to the court? 

Enforcement Costs: Who Pays? | Observer

beobachter.ch/beratung/rechtsratgeber/konsum/schulden-betreibung-und-konkurs/betreibung/betreibungskosten-wer-zahlt 1

The initiating creditor must advance the costs for each enforcement action. The debtor must pay the enforcement costs later, if they were legitimately enforced.

Enforcement Costs: Who Pays? | Observer

beobachter.ch/beratung/rechtsratgeber/konsum/schulden-betreibung-und-konkurs/betreibung/betreibungskosten-wer-zahlt 1

The initiating creditor must advance the costs for each enforcement action. The debtor must pay the enforcement costs later, if they were legitimately enforced.