Document review: estimating cost, throughput and team size

Short answer: Document review cost per document at first level equals the reviewer's day rate divided by documents reviewed per day. With Alpinum's junior rates (CHF 600–800 or EUR 480–720 per day, excluding VAT) and an assumed 350 documents per day, that is roughly CHF 1.71–2.29 or EUR 1.37–2.06 per document, before second level, QC and platform costs.

This guide is for general counsel, heads of legal, heads of compliance and procurement teams in Switzerland and Germany who need to plan or justify a document review budget. It covers what drives the price, how to calculate document review cost per document with transparent assumptions, and how to defend the budget internally.

What drives document review cost

The staffing cost of a review depends mainly on the number of documents after culling and on throughput, not on the day rate alone. A low rate with poor throughput costs more than a higher rate with a clean protocol. These factors drive the budget:

• Volume after culling: de-duplication, date filters, search terms and technology assisted review (TAR) determine how many documents people actually read.
• Throughput: document type, language, length and the number of coding fields. Contracts and spreadsheets take longer than short emails.
• Seniority mix: share of juniors at first level, experienced reviewers at second level and in quality control, a senior as review lead.
• Share of second level and QC: the more documents are escalated or re-checked, the larger the share of higher-rate profiles.
• Languages and specialist knowledge: rare languages and fields such as competition law or anti-money laundering narrow the pool.
• Deadline: a short deadline requires a larger team and more coordination.
• Engagement model: staff leasing or freelancing, part time or full time.
• Not included: platform, hosting and data processing at the eDiscovery provider, and the time of your own project owner. Budget these separately.

Rate ranges by level and market (as of 18 October 2026)

Alpinum Solutions charges review lawyers at hourly or daily rates by seniority. The table shows the published ranges, excluding VAT, as of 18 October 2026. Austria uses the German ranges.

Hourly rates in Switzerland are CHF 75–100 (junior), 100–150 (experienced) and 150–225+ (senior); in Germany under staff leasing (Arbeitnehmerüberlassung, German temporary agency work) EUR 60–90, 90–120 and 120–180+. Other pricing models are explained in What does an interim lawyer cost?.

Worked example: 40,000 documents in 20 working days

The example shows the method; all volumes and throughput figures are assumptions, not Alpinum benchmarks. Measure throughput in your own project during the first days and update the calculation.

1. Volume (assumption): 40,000 documents after culling, deadline 20 working days.
2. First level (assumption): 50 documents per hour, 7 productive hours, so 350 documents per reviewer per day. 40,000 ÷ 350 = about 114 reviewer days, rounded up to 6 reviewers × 20 days = 120 junior days.
3. Second level (assumption): 15% of documents, i.e. 6,000, at 25 documents per hour = 175 per day. 6,000 ÷ 175 = about 34 reviewer days, rounded up to 2 reviewers × 20 days = 40 experienced days.
4. QC and privilege (assumption): 1 experienced profile for the full period = 20 days.
5. Review lead: 1 senior profile for the full period = 20 days.

All amounts exclude VAT, use day rates as of 18 October 2026 and exclude platform and hosting costs. The calculation shows the biggest lever: if better culling cuts the volume by a quarter, first level cost falls in the same proportion. How to derive team size from the same calculation is covered in Setting up a document review team.

Comparing the alternatives

A review can be staffed in four ways; they differ mainly in who directs the work and who is responsible for the outcome.

Alpinum does not offer managed review. Alpinum provides review lawyers, review leads and teams; direction and responsibility for the outcome stay with your company or law firm.

Justifying the budget

A review budget convinces when it sets out the method, the assumptions and how the work will be steered. Include these points in the request to management or procurement:

• Volume before and after culling, with the source of the figure
• Throughput assumptions per level and the plan to measure them in a pilot
• Seniority mix and team size with day rates and their date
• Deadline and what a shorter or longer deadline would cost
• Separate lines for platform, hosting and data processing
• Steering metrics: daily throughput, QC overturn rate, remaining volume with forecast
• A stop and extension rule in case the volume changes

For choosing the right seniority, see Junior, experienced or senior?.

Limits and risks

• Throughput: figures from other projects rarely fit. An optimistic throughput makes the budget unrealistic.
• Late data: new data sources increase the volume during the project. Keep a reserve.
• Quality: a QC rate that is too low saves reviewer days in the short term and costs rework later.

Frequently asked questions about document review cost

What does document review cost per document?

It depends on throughput, seniority mix and day rate. In the worked example with 40,000 documents, assumed throughput and Alpinum's rate ranges, staffing cost is CHF 3.60–5.10+ or EUR 3.00–4.32+ per document, excluding VAT and platform costs. With your own figures from a pilot, the number becomes reliable enough for a budget decision.

Is a per-document price better than day rates?

A per-document price shifts the throughput risk to the provider, who then also directs delivery. Day rates fit when your legal department or law firm keeps the protocol, the review standard and the decisions. You then carry the throughput risk and manage it through the protocol, calibration and steering metrics.

Which costs come on top of the review lawyers?

Typical additional items are the review platform, hosting and data processing at the eDiscovery provider, translations, your project owner's time and, where needed, workstations and devices for the team. These items are not included in the review lawyers' day rates and belong in the budget as separate lines.

How can costs be reduced?

The biggest lever is volume: good culling, de-duplication and TAR reduce the documents people read. After that, a clear protocol, calibration before ramp-up and a seniority mix that uses juniors at first level and experienced profiles only where their judgement is needed keep the cost per document down.

Do different rates apply in Austria?

Austria uses the German ranges in euros. Assignments in Austria run as freelancing or as staff leasing through Alpinum's German or Swiss company. The calculation method and cost drivers are the same as in Switzerland and Germany.

Next step

Alpinum Solutions is the leading provider of interim legal & compliance and provides review teams in Switzerland, Germany and Austria. Share the volume, languages and deadline; you receive a team proposal with seniority mix and day rates.

• Document review lawyers and review teams for law firms and companies
• Litigation support, eDiscovery lawyers and internal investigation teams
• Costs & procurement: all guides on budgeting and buying
• Pricing models for legal managed services: per unit, fixed fee or retainer
• Discuss your needs

Last updated: 10 November 2026.