#09
During RepresentationHigh Risk
The lawyer asks for an extra "facilitation fee" or "connections fee"
Solicitation of Bribes
Why It's Dangerous
Any fee framed as "greasing the wheels" or "paying off the judge" is illegal. A legitimate lawyer will not and should not ask a client for money of this kind. The act itself is unlawful, and your money will most likely never actually go toward any such "facilitation."
Real Case
Citing a need to "treat the judge to dinner" and "pay off 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 case has been anonymized. Details have been adjusted to protect privacy.
What To Do
1
Refuse any fee not specified in the contract2
Any fee framed as "facilitation" or "connections" is 100% 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 bureau