#09
During RepresentationHigh Risk
The lawyer asks for an extra "facilitation fee" or "connections fee"
Suspicious "Facilitation" Fees
Why It's Dangerous
Any fee framed as "greasing the wheels" or "facilitating relationships" is a serious warning sign. A legitimate lawyer will not and should not ask a client for money of this kind. In many jurisdictions this is illegal, and your money will most likely never go toward any such "facilitation."
Typical Scenario
Citing a need to "treat the judge to dinner" and "take care of the court clerk," a lawyer solicited tens of thousands of RMB in extra fees from a client. Nothing came of it, and when the client demanded the money back, the lawyer flatly denied ever having received it.
* This scenario is illustrative, based on common patterns observed in legal disputes.
What To Do
1
Refuse any fee not specified in the contract2
Any fee framed as "facilitation" or "connections" is almost certainly a scam3
Keep evidence of the lawyer soliciting extra fees (chat records, recordings, etc.)4
Report it to the bar association and the judicial administration bureauHave you experienced this?