​​​​​​​What is the scope of criminal law?
In what cases should a lawyer be hired?

Criminal law is the branch of law that deals with crimes and the punishment of those who commit crimes. I can explain in which cases you may need to hire a lawyer within the scope of criminal law with the following items:

• Criminal Allegations: If someone alleges that you or someone else committed a crime, it is important to consult with a criminal defense attorney. Accusations can have serious consequences, and an attorney can help you defend your rights.
• Arrest or Detention: If a person is being detained or arrested, that person must have an attorney. An attorney is important to protect a person's right to expression and to defend their legal rights.
• Criminal Cases: Criminal cases involve the trial of a person in court, whether guilty or innocent. A criminal defense attorney provides the legal representation necessary to mount a defense or seek punishment for criminals.
• Criminal Sentences and Sentence Enhancements: If a person is found guilty and sentenced by a court, attorneys can appeal to have their criminal sentences reduced or enhanced.
• Legal Consultancy: Criminal law lawyers can provide legal consultancy to individuals, guiding them to avoid committing crimes and stay within legal boundaries.
• Criminal Records and Clearance: You may need to have old criminal records cleared or criminal records expunged. An attorney can help you start this process.
• Disclosure and Protection: In some cases, protection may be required for criminal perpetrators, witnesses or victims. Criminal defense attorneys can apply to the court to obtain the necessary protective measures for their clients.
• Objection and Appeal Procedures: In criminal cases, objections or appeals can be made against court decisions. A lawyer will have the legal knowledge necessary to handle these processes.
• Criminal law is a very complex and potentially serious area. A criminal lawyer plays an important role in protecting your legal rights and achieving the best possible outcome. Every situation is different, so contacting a lawyer will ensure that you receive tailored legal advice.

2024-2025 TURKISH BAR ASSOCIATION MINIMUM FEE SCHEDULE FOR ATTORNEYS (AAÜT) HAS ENTERED INTO FORCE

In the 2024-2025 Lawyer Minimum Wage Tariff of the Union of Turkish Bar Associations, which was published in the Official Gazette (today) and entered into force, an average increase of 55.06 percent was achieved, taking into account the financial picture formed after the publication of the previous Tariff regarding fixed fees.

There are increases made at different rate ranges in the fees listed below and we present the comparison table regarding the General Provisions and Table sections of the Tariff for your information.

• The fee to be paid to contracted lawyers who are required to be employed in joint stock companies in accordance with Article 35 of the Attorneyship Law has been increased to 32,000 TL.

• The monthly attorney fee to be paid by private persons and legal entities to their contracted attorneys has been regulated as a separate clause and determined as 25,000 TL.

• The fee in the Civil Court of Peace has been determined as 18,000 TL; the new fixed fee for cases heard in the Criminal Court of Peace has been determined as 13,500 TL.

• The fixed fee determined for the cases followed in the Courts of First Instance is 30,000 TL.

• The fixed fee for cases followed in the High Criminal and Juvenile High Criminal Courts has been increased to 48,000 TL.

• A new clause titled "Actions arising from the opposition to the execution of the verdicts and injunctions regarding the delivery of the child and establishing personal relations with the child" was added to the Tariff and the fixed fee was determined as 12,000 TL.

• The amounts in the Third Section of the Tariff titled "Fees to be Paid for Legal Aid Provided in Courts of Justice and Enforcement and Bankruptcy Offices, the Subject of which is Money or can be Evaluated in Money" have been rearranged by increasing them significantly, taking into account the financial table that has been created.

CHANGES MADE TO THE GENERAL PROVISIONS OF THE TARIFF

1. The paragraph added to Article 2 of the Tariff titled "Works covered by attorney fees" aims to prevent currently observed different practices by drawing attention to the articles to be applied regarding attorney fees to be awarded in cases heard on appeal following the reversal decision given upon appeal.

2. With the paragraph added to Article 8 titled "Fees in counterclaims, in the consolidation and separation of cases", it is stipulated that in the event of a voluntary change of party in accordance with the provision of the fourth paragraph of Article 124 of the Code of Civil Procedure No. 6100, if the person who is removed from being a party to the case and who does not cause a lawsuit to be filed against him is represented by an attorney, a fixed attorney's fee will be awarded in his favor.

3. In the lawsuit filed in the file numbered E. 2023/6176 of the 8th Chamber of the Council of State, requesting the suspension of execution and cancellation of the fifth paragraph of the 14th article of the Minimum Fee Tariff for Attorneys published in the Official Gazette dated 21.09.2023 due to the "incomplete regulation" with the addition of the phrase "rejection" to the fifth paragraph of the 14th article titled "Fees in Criminal Cases", the suspension of execution decision established on 21.05.2024 has been fulfilled. In order to fulfill the requirement of the aforementioned court decision, an amendment has been made to the said article of the 2024 AAÜT.

In the third paragraph of the Second Section of the First Part of the Table 4, the sentence "Approval of the articles of association of legal entity merchants" has been changed to "Signing of the company establishment agreements of legal entity merchants" in order to comply with the legal regulations.

Source:  Union of Turkish Bar Associations

How much does a criminal lawyer charge for filing a case?

Criminal lawyers’ fees can often vary depending on a variety of factors, and it is difficult to give an exact fee.

A lawyer's fee of 5,300 lira will be charged for cases in the criminal investigation phase, 10,700 lira for cases in the civil courts of peace, 8,000 lira for cases followed in the criminal and execution judgeships of peace, 17,900 lira for cases in the courts of first instance, and 29,800 lira for cases in the high criminal courts. (21 Sep 2023)

The fees mentioned above have changed, please contact us for current tariff information.

2025 Attorney Fee Tariff Official Gazette Number: 32316 NOTIFICATION From the Presidency of the Union of Turkish Bar Associations:

2025 LAWYER MINIMUM FEE SCHEDULE

Is a lawyer required in criminal court?

An attorney is not required in criminal court, but the assistance of an attorney can manage the case more effectively.

As a rule, our citizens are not required to hire a lawyer in criminal or civil courts. Therefore, the answer to the question of whether I have to hire a criminal lawyer is, as a rule, yes. However, according to Article 150 of the CMK No. 5271, it is mandatory to have a lawyer in crimes that require a lower limit of more than 5 years of imprisonment. (1 Nov 2022)

What kind of cases does a criminal lawyer handle?

Criminal lawyers generally deal with crimes such as murder, theft, rape, and drug crimes. The main duty of criminal lawyers is to defend both the complainants and the people who are considered criminals. When a person commits one of the acts considered a crime by law, an investigation is initiated by the prosecutor's office. The criminal's right to defense arises when the relevant authorities initiate the investigation.5 Apr 2023

Who is a criminal lawyer?

A criminal lawyer is a legal professional who specializes in criminal law and defends both guilty and innocent clients. Who is a criminal lawyer? A criminal lawyer is a legal person who handles cases conducted through the criminal court or the court of peace. In this field, the lawyer has a wide range of legal duties that will include the services of the client's evidence, file, arrest or defense in court.

How many hearings does the High Criminal Court have to conclude?

Serious Crime Courts may conclude cases in different periods of time depending on the complexity of the cases. Serious crime cases are cases that generally last 1-2 years in our country. These cases include the collection of evidence, hearing of witnesses, hearing and questioning of the defendant and last at least 4-5 sessions.

Who does a criminal lawyer defend?

Criminal lawyers can defend both guilty and innocent parties. It is used specifically to describe a lawyer who defends suspects or defendants in criminal proceedings, protecting their rights and representing them in court proceedings.

Does the bar association provide lawyers in criminal cases?

In criminal cases, the bar association can provide free legal assistance to people with weak financial situations. Lawyers handling criminal cases provide legal services in all processes during the investigation and prosecution phases.

For which crimes is a lawyer required?

Although it varies according to the legal systems, a lawyer may be mandatory in serious crimes. According to Article 150/3 of the CMK; a lawyer must be assigned to a suspect or defendant who does not have a lawyer, regardless of whether they request one or not, in the investigation or prosecution of a crime that requires a prison sentence of more than 5 years at the lower limit.

How many lawyers can enter a court?

The number of lawyers allowed in a courtroom generally depends on local jurisdiction rules. (2) During the investigation phase, a maximum of three lawyers may be present during the taking of statements. (Additional sentence: 3/10/2016-KHK-676/1 article; Accepted as is: 1/2/2018-7070/1 article) In prosecutions conducted for crimes committed within the scope of organizational activities, a maximum of three lawyers may be present at the hearing.

What happens at the first hearing in a criminal case?

In the first hearing, the charges are presented, witnesses testify and the roadmap for the case is determined. In the first hearing of criminal cases, the prepared indictment is read to the defendant and the defendant's defense is first taken. After the defendant makes his defense before the court, the complaining party, if any, is heard and asked whether they want to participate in the case.

Does the lawyer get paid if he loses the case?

Generally, whether the lawyer wins or loses depends on the agreement made with the client. There is no condition in the agreement to change according to success, and if the case is lost, the plaintiff lawyer will not receive any fee.

If the lawyer wins the case, does he get paid?

Yes, the lawyer who wins the case usually receives a fee based on the agreement.  The lawyer who takes on the case, regardless of its stage, receives the full fee stated in the tariff. No separate fee can be requested for the drafts and other opinions related to the case. If the work is taken on after the case has started, the fee previously received by the lawyer for this work is offset against the fee stated in the tariff.

How much does the loser of the case pay?

In a losing case, the attorney's fee may often be reduced or not received at all.

If the lawyer loses the case, does he/she pay? If the case is lost, the other party's attorney fees and litigation expenses will be left to you by the losing party. In this case, the lawyer is not paid.

What happens if the person who files a lawsuit loses the case?

The person who files the lawsuit may be liable to pay the court costs and the other party's attorney fees. If you lose the compensation lawsuit filed against you, you will first be sentenced to prison for your debt and will have to pay the money. If you have any real estate, it may be seized through enforcement.

What percentage does a lawyer receive in a case?

The cost of hiring a lawyer depends on many factors and it is difficult to give an exact figure.

The fee that the lawyer will receive is usually based on the agreement and can be expressed as a percentage. Attorney's fee; Article 164 of the Attorney's Law No. 1136 states that "Attorney's fee refers to the amount or value of the lawyer's legal assistance. A certain percentage of the value of the thing to be sued or decided upon, not to exceed twenty-five percent, or the money, can be decided as the attorney's fee.

Who pays for attorney fees in criminal cases?

Generally, the client, that is, the person who files a lawsuit or is defended, pays the attorney's fee. The fee of the private attorney you hire in the case is yours. This is a special debt relationship between you and your attorney, but in every case, the court assesses the attorney's fee in favor of the attorney whose case is accepted, and the losing party pays this fee to the winning party.

How much are attorney fees in 2025?

2025 Attorney Fee Tariff Official Gazette Number: 32316 NOTIFICATION From the Presidency of the Union of Turkish Bar Associations:

2025 LAWYER MINIMUM FEE SCHEDULE

https://www.resmigazete.gov.tr/eskiler/2024/10/20241003-4-1.htm

How much does it cost to hire a lawyer?

THE MINIMUM FEE TARIFF FOR ATTORNEYS HAS BEEN RE-DETERMINED. THE PRICES ARE AS OF 21.09.2023. THE 2025 TARIFF HAS CHANGED. THE INFORMATION HERE IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES. PLEASE CONTACT A LAWYER FOR EXACT PRICES .

How to get a free lawyer?

According to Article 178 of the Law on Advocacy, in order to request a lawyer, one must apply to the legal aid offices or representatives of the bar associations. During the application, certain documents are requested. After the evaluation of these documents, a free lawyer is assigned to those who meet the necessary conditions.

In what cases does the state provide a free lawyer?

7. In Which Cases Does the Bar Association Provide a Free Lawyer? The legal aid system is for cases other than criminal cases. When filing a lawsuit in the civil courts of the judiciary and the administrative courts, or if a lawsuit has been filed against you, legal aid can be requested for a free lawyer.

Does the lawyer call and ask for money?

My advice to citizens is not to trust those who introduce themselves as lawyers, conciliators, or mediators and ask for money, because no member of the judiciary, lawyer, or public official would call and threaten citizens with money in this way.

How much are the costs of small claims court?

THE INFORMATION BELOW IS FOR THE YEAR 2023 AND HAS COMPLETELY CHANGED IN 2024 AND 2025. IT WAS WRITTEN FOR YOU TO BE INFORMED AND HAVE AN IDEA. PLEASE CONTACT A LAWYER .

The minimum wage tariff for the works followed in the enforcement courts is 3,400.00 TL. The minimum wage tariff for the works followed in the criminal investigation phase is 2,800.00 TL. The minimum wage tariff for the works followed in the criminal courts of first instance is 9,200.00 TL.

How much does a lawyer file cost?

THE INFORMATION BELOW IS FOR THE YEAR 2023 AND HAS COMPLETELY CHANGED IN 2024 AND 2025. IT WAS WRITTEN FOR YOU TO BE INFORMED AND HAVE AN IDEA. PLEASE CONTACT A LAWYER .

A lawyer's fee of 2,800 lira will be charged for cases in the criminal investigation phase, 5,500 lira for cases in the civil courts of peace, 4,000 lira for cases followed in the criminal and execution judgeships of peace, 9,200 lira for cases in the courts of first instance, and 17,400 lira for cases in the high criminal courts.

How much is the attorney's fee for acquittal of a serious crime?

THE INFORMATION IS FOR THE YEAR 2023 AND HAS COMPLETELY CHANGED IN 2024 AND 2025. IT WAS WRITTEN FOR YOU TO BE INFORMED AND HAVE AN IDEA. PLEASE CONTACT A LAWYER .

However, it should be noted again that according to the attorney fee schedule published by the Union of Turkish Bar Associations, it is strictly forbidden for a lawyer to receive a fee below 9,200 TL in criminal cases heard in the criminal courts of first instance, and 17,400 TL in criminal cases heard in the high criminal courts.