Turkish law separates two fees. The contractual fee (akdi vekalet ücreti) is agreed between client and lawyer under the Attorneyship Law, Law No. 1136; as a percentage it may not exceed 25 percent of the value of the case, and it may never be below the Minimum Attorney Fee Tariff. The fee awarded by the court (karşı vekalet ücreti) is ordered against the losing party at tariff rates and belongs to the winner's lawyer (Article 164). The 2026 tariff (Official Gazette, 4 November 2025) sets 45,000 Turkish Lira for courts of first instance and 16 percent on the first 600,000 Turkish Lira.
A foreign client hiring a lawyer in Türkiye usually asks two questions: what will my own lawyer cost, and what happens if I lose? Turkish law answers them with two separate fees. The akdi vekalet ücreti, the contractual fee, is agreed between client and lawyer under the Attorneyship Law, Law No. 1136. The karşı vekalet ücreti, the counsel fee awarded by the court, is ordered against the losing party on the basis of the Avukatlık Asgari Ücret Tarifesi, the Minimum Attorney Fee Tariff. The tariff in force in 2026 was published in the Official Gazette of 4 November 2025, No. 33067, and amended on 8 January and 28 March 2026; among other figures, it sets 45,000 Turkish Lira as the minimum fee for a case before a court of first instance and 16 percent on the first 600,000 Turkish Lira of a money claim. This article explains how fee agreements work, the 25 percent ceiling, how courts calculate the fee awarded to the winner, including partial wins and enforcement proceedings, who pays what when a case is lost, and what foreign clients should settle in writing before they sign.
Article 164(1) of Law No. 1136 defines the attorney's fee as the sum or value paid in return for the lawyer's legal assistance. That is the contractual fee: the client owes it to their own lawyer under their agreement, whatever the result, unless they agreed that payment depends on success. The fee awarded by the court is a different thing. Under Article 323(1)(ğ) of the Code of Civil Procedure, Law No. 6100, the attorney's fee determined under the law is one of the costs of proceedings, and under Article 330 the court awards it in favour of the party who was represented by a lawyer. It is calculated from the tariff, not from what the winner actually paid, so it rarely matches the real cost of the case.
A party who conducts the case without a lawyer receives no counsel fee at all, only certain expenses, such as an allowance for attending hearings, which the judge may set under Article 323(1)(g).
Under Article 163 of Law No. 1136, the terms of a fee agreement are for the parties to decide, but the agreement must cover a specific legal service and state an amount or value. Agreements that are not in writing are proved under the general rules of evidence, which in practice puts a client and lawyer who relied on a handshake in a difficult position. Conditional agreements, such as a fee payable only on success, are valid if they do not breach the law. An agreement above the statutory ceiling is valid up to the ceiling, the invalidity of one clause does not void the whole agreement, and an agreement that has already been performed cannot later be challenged as invalid.
Article 164(2) allows the fee to be fixed as a percentage of the value of the case, of the amount awarded or of the money involved, but not above 25 percent. Such an agreement cannot provide that part of the property or rights in dispute, other than money, passes to the lawyer in kind, for example a share of a flat (Article 164(3)). Percentage fees are common in debt collection and compensation claims; in most other matters lawyers in Türkiye quote a fixed fee, often with an advance and a balance payable at a later stage.
A fee below the minimum tariff may not be agreed (Article 164(3)), and Article 1(3) of the tariff repeats the rule. A lawyer who takes a case without charge must notify the bar's board of directors. A quote far below the tariff is therefore a warning sign rather than a bargain.
Unless the agreement says otherwise, the agreed fee covers only the matter the lawyer took on. A counterclaim, a related case, enforcement proceedings and other advice are subject to separate fees even if they are connected (Article 173). Court fees, taxes, charges and expenses are the client's responsibility, and the lawyer may ask for a sufficient advance before paying them; travel costs are paid separately if so agreed. Under Article 2 of the tariff, the fee for a case covers all work until a final judgment, but enforcement proceedings and hearings before the Court of Cassation, the Council of State and the regional appeal courts require a separate fee.
Article 164(4) of Law No. 1136 covers the situation where no fee was agreed, there is no written agreement, the agreement is unclear or disputed, or its fee clause is invalid. In money claims, the authority deciding the fee dispute sets the fee at between 10 and 20 percent of the value of the claim as at the date the judgment becomes final, for the part of the case that was won, according to the lawyer's work and never below the tariff. In cases whose value cannot be measured in money, the tariff applies. Article 1(2) of the tariff confirms that, in these disputes, the tariff serves only to calculate the minimum.
Article 168, which is sometimes cited for this rule, in fact governs how the tariff is prepared each year, as described in section 4.1. For a foreign client, the practical lesson from Article 164(4) is that leaving the fee unwritten does not mean paying less: the law fills the gap with a percentage that may well exceed what a fixed fee would have been.
Under Article 168, bar associations send their proposals to the Union of Turkish Bar Associations each September, the Union prepares the tariff by the end of October and sends it to the Ministry of Justice, and the tariff becomes final if the Ministry approves it or does not decide within one month. The fee is assessed under the tariff in force when the legal service is completed or when judgment is given (Article 168 of Law No. 1136 and Article 21 of the tariff). The current tariff entered into force on its publication on 4 November 2025. A new tariff is normally published each autumn, so figures should always be checked against the latest Official Gazette.
| Service | Minimum Under the Tariff in Force in 2026 |
|---|---|
| Oral consultation at the office, first hour | 4,000 Turkish Lira, then 1,800 Turkish Lira for each further hour |
| Written opinion, first hour | 7,000 Turkish Lira, then 3,500 Turkish Lira for each further hour |
| Drafting a petition, notice or formal warning | 6,000 Turkish Lira |
| Mediation ending without agreement, for each party's lawyer | 8,000 Turkish Lira |
| Proceedings at an enforcement office | 9,000 Turkish Lira |
| Enforcement court | 11,000 Turkish Lira for matters, 18,000 Turkish Lira for actions and matters with a hearing |
| Consumer court | 22,500 Turkish Lira |
| Civil court of peace | 30,000 Turkish Lira |
| Courts of first instance (asliye mahkemeleri) | 45,000 Turkish Lira |
| High criminal court | 65,000 Turkish Lira |
| Administrative or tax court | 30,000 Turkish Lira without a hearing, 40,000 Turkish Lira with a hearing |
| Regional appeal court, appeal with one hearing | 22,000 Turkish Lira |
These are floors for the fee a lawyer may charge and the basis on which courts award fees. They are not market prices, and fees for complex or urgent work are often well above them.
Where the subject of the case is money or can be valued in money, the fee is calculated on that value under the third part of the tariff, but not below the fixed fee for the court hearing the case and not above the amount accepted or rejected (Article 13 of the tariff). The scale is applied in slices, like an income tax scale:
| Portion of the Value | Rate |
|---|---|
| First 600,000 Turkish Lira | 16 percent |
| Next 600,000 Turkish Lira | 15 percent |
| Next 1,200,000 Turkish Lira | 14 percent |
| Next 1,200,000 Turkish Lira | 13 percent |
| Next 1,800,000 Turkish Lira | 11 percent |
| Next 2,400,000 Turkish Lira | 8 percent |
| Next 3,000,000 Turkish Lira | 5 percent |
| Next 3,600,000 Turkish Lira | 3 percent |
| Next 4,200,000 Turkish Lira | 2 percent |
| Above 18,600,000 Turkish Lira | 1 percent |
For a claim of 1,000,000 Turkish Lira, the fee is 16 percent of 600,000 (96,000) plus 15 percent of the remaining 400,000 (60,000), a total of 156,000 Turkish Lira. For a claim of 200,000 Turkish Lira before a court of first instance, 16 percent gives 32,000 Turkish Lira, which is below the 45,000 Turkish Lira fixed fee for that court, so 45,000 Turkish Lira applies.
The tariff was amended twice in 2026. The amendment of 8 January 2026 (Official Gazette No. 33131) repealed the second paragraph of Article 10, which had capped the fee of the defendant's lawyer when a claim for moral damages was partly rejected. The amendment of 28 March 2026 (No. 33207) rewrote Article 14(5) on applications before criminal judgeships of peace, such as objections to administrative fines. Neither amendment changed the fixed amounts or the proportional scale.
Under Article 326(1) of Law No. 6100, the costs of proceedings, including the counsel fee, are imposed on the party against whom judgment is given. Article 169 of Law No. 1136 and Article 3(1) of the tariff provide that the fee awarded against the other side may not be less than the tariff amount or more than three times it, taking into account the lawyer's work, the importance and nature of the case and its duration. In practice, most courts award the tariff amount.
Several tariff rules affect the figure. Only one fee is awarded however many lawyers represent a party (Article 4). Where a claim against several defendants is dismissed on a ground common to all, one fee is awarded; where the grounds differ, a separate fee is awarded for each ground (Article 3(2)). If the dispute ends through withdrawal, acceptance or settlement before the minutes of the preliminary examination are signed, half the fee is awarded, and the full fee after that (Article 6). A party who withdraws the claim or accepts it bears the costs as if judgment had been given against it (Article 312 of Law No. 6100).
If each side wins in part, Article 326(2) of Law No. 6100 requires the court to divide the costs in proportion to each party's success. Each side's counsel fee is calculated on the part it won: the claimant's lawyer on the amount awarded, the defendant's lawyer on the amount rejected, and neither fee may exceed that amount (Article 13(2) of the tariff). In a claim for pecuniary damages that is partly rejected, the fee for the defendant's lawyer may not exceed the fee awarded to the claimant's lawyer (Article 13(3)). For example, if a claim of 1,000,000 Turkish Lira before a court of first instance succeeds for 600,000, the claimant is awarded a fee of 96,000 Turkish Lira on that amount, the defendant 64,000 Turkish Lira on the 400,000 rejected, and the other costs are shared 60 to 40.
A defendant acting in bad faith, or a party that sues with no right at all, may be ordered to pay all or part of the fee the other side actually agreed with its lawyer, in addition to the ordinary costs, with the court setting the amount if it is disputed or excessive (Article 329 of Law No. 6100 and Article 23 of the tariff). This is the main situation in which the losing party pays more than the tariff fee.
Under Article 11 of the tariff, the fee for work at an enforcement office covers everything until the proceedings end and is calculated on the proportional scale. For proceedings up to 56,250 Turkish Lira, the fixed enforcement office fee of 9,000 Turkish Lira applies instead, but it may not exceed the principal claim. If the debtor pays within the payment period, three quarters of the fee is awarded. Obtaining an aciz belgesi, a certificate that the debtor's assets are insufficient, counts as concluding the proceedings, so the full fee is due. Hearings before the enforcement court carry a separate fee, and enforcement proceedings for eviction carry a fixed fee of 20,000 Turkish Lira.
For example, on proceedings for 100,000 Turkish Lira the fee is 16 percent, or 16,000 Turkish Lira; if the debtor pays within the payment period, it is 12,000 Turkish Lira. Under Article 59 of the Enforcement and Bankruptcy Law, Law No. 2004, the costs of proceedings are borne by the debtor, although the creditor must advance them. Our article on debt collection and enforcement in Türkiye describes the procedure itself, and our bankruptcy and foreclosure law service covers representation for creditors and debtors.
Losing a civil case in Türkiye has three cost elements: your own lawyer's agreed fee, the court costs you advanced, and the costs order in favour of the winner, which includes the winner's counsel fee at the tariff rate. The winner's actual fee is not shifted to you except in the bad faith cases described in section 5.2.
| Cost Item | Who Bears It in Principle |
|---|---|
| Your own lawyer's agreed fee | You, under your agreement, whatever the result unless payment depends on success |
| Court fees, expert, witness, service and inspection costs | The losing party, through the costs order (Articles 323 and 326 of Law No. 6100) |
| The winner's counsel fee | The losing party, at the tariff amount, up to three times that amount (Article 169 of Law No. 1136) |
| The winner's actual agreed fee | Only a party acting in bad faith or suing with no right at all (Article 329 of Law No. 6100) |
| Hearings on appeal | A separate counsel fee under Article 2(2) of the tariff |
| Security for costs from foreign claimants | Deposited at the start unless the court grants an exemption on the basis of reciprocity (Article 48 of Law No. 5718) |
The last row matters for foreigners. Under Article 48 of the Code on Private International and Procedural Law, Law No. 5718, foreign natural and legal persons who bring an action, intervene in one or start enforcement proceedings before a Turkish court must provide security, in an amount set by the court, for the costs and the other side's possible loss, unless exempted on the basis of reciprocity. Consumers face a special rule when a consumer arbitration committee decision in their favour is annulled, as explained in our article on the consumer arbitration committee.
Article 330 of Law No. 6100 awards the counsel fee in favour of the party, but Article 164(5) of Law No. 1136 states that the fee imposed on the other side by the judgment belongs to the lawyer. It cannot be set off against the client's debts and cannot be attached by the client's creditors. A winning client should therefore not expect to receive it unless the fee agreement says it will be credited against the contractual fee. Whether it is credited, added on top or shared is a matter for the agreement, and it is worth settling at the outset.
Article 166 gives the lawyer a right to retain money and property received for the client until the fee and expenses are paid, and a priority over other creditors on what is recovered through the lawyer's work. When a judgment is enforced, the enforcement office must serve a notice on the lawyer named in the judgment before the proceedings move to the next stage. Article 165 adds a rule that surprises many clients: where a matter ends by agreement between the parties, by settlement or otherwise, and is not pursued further, both parties are jointly liable for the lawyer's fee. Settling directly with the other side behind your lawyer's back does not remove the fee.
A lawyer must pursue the matter to its end even without a written agreement (Article 171). A lawyer who abandons a case without just cause is not entitled to any fee and must repay any advance; a client who dismisses the lawyer owes the full fee, unless the dismissal was due to the lawyer's fault or negligence (Article 174). If the client wants to add other lawyers, the first lawyer's written consent is needed; if that lawyer refuses, the mandate ends and the client must pay the full fee (Article 172). Where the lawyers of both sides bring about a settlement under Article 35/A of Law No. 1136, the tariff sets the minimum fee at the fixed fee for the relevant court plus one quarter (Article 16 of the tariff), as described in our article on attorney led settlement under Article 35/A.
Under the communiqué on Decree No. 32 on the Protection of the Value of the Turkish Currency, No. 2008-32/34, persons resident in Türkiye may not, as a rule, agree the price of a service contract between themselves in foreign currency. Article 8(7) of the communiqué excludes, among others, service contracts to which a person with no Turkish citizenship is a party, and a client resident abroad is outside the restriction altogether, so a foreign client can usually agree the fee in euros, dollars or pounds. A dual citizen living in Türkiye cannot rely on the citizenship exception. Whatever the currency, the fee may not fall below the tariff in Turkish Lira. A related application of these rules is explained in our article on the foreign currency ban in lease agreements.
Legal services are subject to value added tax at the general rate, which has been 20 percent since 10 July 2023 under Presidential Decision No. 7346. Services to customers abroad can be exempt under the Value Added Tax Law, Law No. 3065, but Article 12(2) requires both that the customer is abroad and that the service is used abroad. Representation before a Turkish court or land registry is used in Türkiye, so it will usually be difficult to bring within the exemption. Ask whether a quote includes VAT and how the receipt will be issued.
Put the agreement in writing, signed by both sides, and make it state the work covered, the amount and currency, the payment schedule, how expenses and advances are handled, and what happens to the fee awarded by the court. A lawyer cannot act in court without a power of attorney; a client abroad can usually grant one at a Turkish consulate or before a local notary with an apostille, as explained in our article on granting a power of attorney abroad for Türkiye. Before paying anything, check that the lawyer is registered with a Turkish bar, using the steps in our guide to verifying a lawyer in Türkiye.
The counsel fee is only one item among the yargılama giderleri, the costs of proceedings listed in Article 323 of Law No. 6100. The others include application, decision and judgment fees, service and postal costs, expert and witness fees, the costs of interim measures and of notices, and on site inspections. Most of these must be advanced by the claimant when the case is filed or as it progresses, and a claim can stall if the advance is not paid. How court fees are calculated and when the advance on costs falls due is covered in our article on judicial fees and advance payments in Türkiye. A sound budget for a Turkish case adds three figures together: your lawyer's fee, the court costs you advance, and the possible costs order if the case is lost.
The akdi vekalet ücreti is the fee you agree with your own lawyer; the karşı vekalet ücreti is the fee the court orders the losing party to pay, calculated under the tariff.
For percentage fees, yes: 25 percent of the value of the case or of the amount awarded under Article 164(2) of Law No. 1136, and an agreement above that is valid only up to the ceiling.
No. A fee below the minimum tariff may not be agreed, and a lawyer who acts without a fee must notify the bar.
The minimum for an oral consultation at the office is 4,000 Turkish Lira for the first hour and 1,800 Turkish Lira for each further hour; actual fees may be higher.
Not automatically. Under Article 164(5) of Law No. 1136 it belongs to your lawyer, unless your agreement provides that it is credited against your fee.
No, you pay the counsel fee set under the tariff as part of the costs, unless the court finds that you acted in bad faith or sued with no right at all.
Each side receives a fee calculated on the part it won, and the other costs are shared in proportion to each side's success under Article 326(2) of Law No. 6100.
In a money claim, the fee is set at 10 to 20 percent of the value won, assessed at the date the judgment becomes final and never below the tariff.
Yes. Conditional fee agreements are valid if they do not breach the law, and a percentage fee may not exceed 25 percent.
Usually yes if you are not a Turkish citizen or you live abroad, under the exceptions in the communiqué on Decree No. 32; the fee still may not fall below the tariff.
Generally yes, at the general rate of 20 percent; the exemption for services to customers abroad requires that the service is also used abroad.
A fixed 9,000 Turkish Lira for proceedings up to 56,250 Turkish Lira, capped at the principal, and the proportional scale above that, reduced to three quarters if the debtor pays within the payment period.
Yes, but a dismissed lawyer is entitled to the full fee unless dismissed for fault or negligence, and adding lawyers requires the first lawyer's written consent.
It can, because the fee is assessed under the tariff in force when judgment is given, and a new tariff is normally published each autumn.
Yes, under Article 48 of Law No. 5718, unless the court grants an exemption on the basis of reciprocity.
Attorney fees in Türkiye rest on two separate tracks. The contractual fee is a matter of written agreement under Articles 163 and 164 of Law No. 1136, limited to 25 percent when expressed as a percentage and never below the tariff. The fee awarded by the court is set by the tariff in force at the date of judgment, currently the tariff published on 4 November 2025, is imposed on the losing party and belongs to the winner's lawyer. Partial wins, enforcement proceedings and settlements each have their own rules, and foreign clients should also plan for VAT, currency and security for costs. The best protection is a clear written agreement and a realistic estimate of both your own fees and the costs you would face if the case went the other way.
If you would like a written fee proposal for your matter, or need a cost estimate for a case or enforcement proceedings in Türkiye under the current tariff, our legal team can review the documents and set out the figures before you decide to proceed.
