Court appearance and legal costs (møde- og advokatomkostninger)
Also known as appearance fee, lawyer's fee, attendance costs
These are the costs triggered when a case requires someone to appear — in the bailiff's court or before the ordinary courts.
- Triggered by
- Appearing in court
- Set by
- The court
- May be charged to
- The debtor
In practice
As long as a case runs on paper, the costs stay manageable. The moment someone has to appear, the arithmetic changes: there is a bailiff’s court hearing to staff, and before the ordinary courts a lawyer to run the case.
The court decides what can be awarded, and the amounts follow fixed scales based on the value of the case. They rarely cover the full bill — they cover what the court considers reasonable.
The amounts can be charged to the debtor as part of the legal costs. But they have to be advanced first, and if the debtor cannot pay, it is the creditor who has borne the expense.
Where it commonly goes wrong
- Expecting to recover all of it. Awarded costs follow the scales, not the invoice.
- Taking a small case all the way. On small claims the cost of appearing can exceed what the case is about.