Costs of litigation – a comparative approach

Med postopkom in zaradi njega nastajajo stroški, ki so glede na višino, transparentnost in predvidljivost pomembna okoliščina pri iskanju sodnega varstva posameznikovih interesov. Vprašanja stroškov in financiranja postopka so pomembna tako za stranke in posrednike v sporu kot tudi širše. Cenovna dostopnost namreč spada med bistvene parametre uspešnega pravosodnega sistema, primerjava s tujimi ureditvami pa pokaže izstopajoče trende in ceno pravdanja onkraj meja. Glavni viri stroškov so sodni stroški, nagrade odvetnikov in stroški izvajanja dokazov. Večina sistemov jih v osnovi deli skladno z izidom pravde, kar pa ne pomeni, da je zmagovalec v praksi popolnoma kompenziran – treba je upoštevati tudi številne izjeme in modifikacije, ki jih ureditev predvideva. Poleg tega, kdo na koncu nosi stroške, je bistveno, kolikšno višino dosegajo. Največji del predstavljajo nagrade odvetnikov, katerih povračilo je običajno omejeno s tarifnim sistemom – z orodjem za zagotavljanje predvidljivosti stroškov. Ureditve odvetniških nagrad nakazujejo težnjo po liberalizaciji pravil zanje. Svetovni trendi kažejo, da se civilni pravosodni sistem pospešeno komercializira. Pravdanje je skoraj povsod veliko finančno breme, če ne absolutno, pa relativno, glede na vrednost spora, in predstavlja grožnjo dostopu do sodnega varstva. To velja predvsem za stroške, ki so nesorazmerni z vrednostjo spora. V odziv temu je večina jurisdikcij razvila mehanizme za razporeditev finančnega tveganja pravde. Slednji poleg tradicionalne državne pravne pomoči obsegajo tudi modernejša pravna zavarovanja, skupinske tožbe, financiranje s strani tretjih, ki na pravdanje gledajo kot na investicijsko priložnost, ipd.During the procedure and due to it costs arise, which, according to their amount, transparency and predictability, represent an important aspect in pursuing a legal action for individuals\u27 interests. Issues raised by costs and funding are not important only for litigants and intermediaries but also in a wider sense. Affordability is one of the essential parameters of an effective justice system, and the comparison with foreign legal systems reveals worldwide trends and the price of litigation beyond one\u27s own jurisdiction. The main sources of litigation costs are court fees, lawyers\u27 fees and expenses of evidence taking. Most systems have a general rule on cost shifting in line with the outcome of the case, which, however, does not mean that the winner is fully compensated in practice – one must also consider the many exceptions and modifications to which these basic rules are often subject. Besides the question of who ultimately bears the costs, it is essential to know what the sums at stake are. Lawyers\u27 fees represent the lion\u27s share and their reimbursement is usually limited by the tariff system – a tool to provide predictability of costs. There is a trend towards deregulating lawyers’ fees. Global trends indicate that the civil justice system is becoming increasingly commercialized. The overall financial burden of civil litigation is heavy, in general or in relation to the value of the dispute, and constitutes a barrier for access to justice. In particular, this applies to costs that are disproportionate to the value of the dispute. In response to this, most jurisdictions have developed mechanisms to distribute the financial risk of civil litigation. They range from traditional legal aid to modern models of litigation as an investment opportunity, such as legal insurance, group actions, third party funding, etc