All about the Costs of Hiring a Lawyer in Malaysia
Getting a lawyer is essential when things have to go to court. Unfortunately, their costs aren’t as affordable as many people would like, but that’s the fee that comes with their responsibilities and expertise.
Also, trust us, you’re much better off paying them for their services than going through all the legal processes by yourself, which is impossible. That said, we wanted to give you an idea of how much money you’re going to have to put out when the time comes.
To achieve this, let’s take a closer look at the cost of hiring lawyers here in Malaysia. For your convenience, we’ve also discussed each type of lawyer and their respective fees–let’s get started!
How much does it cost to hire a lawyer in Malaysia?
Lawyers are typically paid by the hour in Malaysia, with their rates depending on how long and complex the case is. Those looking to avail of their services will be looking to pay around RM150 – RM600 per hour.
As you may have known by now, this rate is charged on the time spent by the lawyer in your case. However, aside from the duration and complexity of the case, this rate can also depend on the lawyer’s expertise.
Another way lawyers can get paid in Malaysia is by their flat rate, and it’s mostly used in simpler cases. This agreement means that the lawyer will charge a fixed lump sum regardless of how much time they spend on your case.
At the end of the day, we recommend comparing prices from different lawyers so that you won’t be surprised when it’s time to pay up. Furthermore, knowing that you’re financially able to pay for a lawyer’s services will help ease your mind, leaving you focused on the case yourself.
Factors that Influence the Cost of Legal Services in Malaysia
Now that you’ve gotten at least an ample idea of how much lawyers cost and how they’re paid, let’s move on to how they came up with that amount. In this section, let’s take a look at the different factors that affect legal fees here in Malaysia.
Complexity and Duration of the Case
Naturally, the more complex the case is, the higher the fees will be. This is because it would take more effort and time to settle compared to simple cases that have two parties agreeing with each other.
Let’s say a trial goes for multiple days to a month and involves multiple parties that are disagreeing with each other. This will cost a lot more, especially if you’ve agreed upon paying an hourly rate with your lawyer, which is mostly the case for more complex situations.
Experience and Specialty of the Lawyer
Lawyers can specialise in different fields, and depending on your case, it would be better to hire them than general practitioners. However, you must keep in mind that these lawyers are much more expensive, with some even having their own pricing structures.
Location
One surprising factor that affects a lawyer’s cost is the location of where the legal work is done. To put it simply, those located in the urban areas of the country such as Kuala Lumpur City Centre will cost more because of the high demand for their services.
Meanwhile, lawyers located in the rural areas of Malaysia such as Pahang will offer cheaper prices. This may be because of a variety of factors but the most obvious one is the compensation or the lack thereof.
Size of the Firm
The size of the firm may also have something to do with the pricing of a lawyer’s costs. In a nutshell, larger firms will cost more compared to smaller ones, but there’s a reason for that!
This is because larger firms have better resources and more comprehensive packages compared to smaller ones. Although the former costs more, you’re definitely getting better value for your money, and they’re the best choice for more complex cases.
Additional Costs
More often than not, you’ll also have to pay for additional costs that are on top of the legal fee of the lawyer. These additional costs include court filing expenses, transportation expenses such as aeroplane, bus, and taxi fares, accountant fees and other miscellaneous expenses.
These fees are unplanned and there’s no real way to prepare for them other than having an allotted budget just in case. At first, these additional fees may not seem as bad, but once they start to pile up, they’ll become a problem.
What are the different types of lawyers and what are their rates?
Immigration Lawyers
The estimated cost of hiring an immigration lawyer can easily cost upwards of RM1,400, depending on the case they’ll work on. For instance, the rate for assisting with work permits will be cheaper compared to let’s say, handling a deportation defense case.
The main responsibility of immigration lawyers in Malaysia is to assist foreigners with their visas and permits so that they could live, work and study here. They make sure that these individuals don’t break any immigration laws before, during or after the onboarding process.
This is great, considering the process of getting these files and documentation is overly complex. They won’t process these themselves, however, as they’ll mostly provide expert advice in handling visas and work permits to those looking to immigrate to the country.
Another key responsibility of immigration lawyers is helping Malaysian employers adhere to immigration laws, as they hire foreign candidates. This way, the employers will tick all the boxes in the country’s criteria when it comes to sponsoring a foreign worker.
Lastly, these lawyers will also make sure that immigrants of the country will be treated fairly under the law of the country. This means that foreign workers won’t have to worry about the dangers of working abroad and not complying with immigration laws.
Civil Lawyers
Civil lawyers typically charge per hour and their rates will depend on the complexity of their task. As previously mentioned, their price may vary between RM150 – RM600 per hour.
As you may have gleaned from its name, civil lawyers work on matters that involve civil law. Some of the most common cases involved in this law include property disputes, debt collection and contract negotiations.
Basically, their goal is to work closely with their clients to ensure that they along with their best interests are well-protected. These lawyers can do this by representing their clients in court, providing them with advice about the law and guiding them with their contracts.
Criminal Lawyers
The cost of criminal lawyers may vary depending on the case. Their typical rates cost around RM150-RM600 per hour
Criminal lawyers are mainly hired to represent and protect an individual who’s believed to have broken the law. They’re what you mostly see in true crime documentaries, as they specialise in criminal law.
Since they have to defend their clients, they need to have a great understanding of federal and state laws. Of course, they must understand court hearings and legal procedures as well.
Out of all the lawyers, they have one of the most several responsibilities that they need to act upon. These tasks include:
- Defend clients by curating defence strategies
- Draft pleadings
- Negotiate plea bargains
- Investigate crimes
- Gather and study pieces of evidence
- File petitions
- Work hand-in-hand with authority figures on cases.
Personal Injury Lawyers
Personal injury lawyers are usually paid a percentage of the successful lawsuit that they’ve filed against the entity responsible for the injury. Depending on the case, they could take home around 33% to 40% of the total lawsuit.
In the unfortunate event that you get into an accident (knock on wood), you’d want the individual who caused it to be held accountable, right? That’s where a personal injury lawyer will come in handy.
Their job is to hold the one responsible for the accident accountable and help their client in their recovery process financially. They’re able to do this by recovering compensation from the individual who caused the accident due to negligence.
This compensation will then be used to pay for the expenses that the client has accumulated due to hospitalisation and recovery. These lawyers are mostly involved in workplace injuries, road accidents, slips and falls, etc.
Family/Divorce Lawyer
The cost of a family lawyer’s fee will depend on the case itself. For instance, if a divorce is contested, the case will take a year or so, leading lawyers to cost RM5,000 to RM50,000.
Meanwhile, a joint petition will only take around 3 to 6 months, which will only around cost RM3,000 to RM6,000
For this article, let’s classify both family and divorce lawyers into a single category. This is because most family lawyers also handle divorce since it’s a subset of family law.
In Malaysia, however, they need to know Muslim Law (Syariah), Hindu Law, Chinese Customary Law and other family laws applicable in the country.
With that being said, they help in family matters such as pre-nuptial agreements, adoption, marriage laws and of course, divorce. Speaking of divorce, they also serve as a mediating figure between the two spouses when things start to get rocky.
You’ll also often see them at work with child custody cases. These experts are reliable, as they ensure to fact-check everything before making drastic decisions to ensure the fairest outcome in these types of cases.
Labour and Employment Lawyers
Labour and employment lawyers can either charge hourly or offer a flat rate. The amount varies depending on the case, but you’ll be looking at the standard hourly rate we’ve mentioned previously, which is RM150 to RM600 or more.
When it comes to employee-employer matters, labour and employment lawyers will have your back! Whether it be employee benefits, safety, contracts and more, these individuals will help achieve an agreement between both parties while maintaining compliance with the law.
They’re also involved in proposing policies that seek to improve the workspace by preventing harassment, underpaying and other disputes. You can also rely on them if you want to negotiate your severance pay!
Environmental Lawyers
Environmental lawyers charge per hour. This can depend on the case, firm and the lawyer themselves, but the usual rate is around upwards of RM150.
For ecological legal matters, you can call an environmental lawyer to represent you. From the name itself, this type of lawyer serves to maintain the preservation of the environment by helping people understand the importance of nature.
For instance, those who choose to neglect the environmental laws and damage their surroundings will be punishable. This may be in the form of fines, community services, and even jail time, for those that require extreme punishments.
Since the environment is their main focus, you’ll often see them working with organisations in Malaysia such as:
- Department of Environment (DOE)
- Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
- Malaysian Nature Society (MNS).