Lawyer's consultation is a kind of legal service, and the fee is reasonable and in line with the law, but whether it is charged or not belongs to the lawyer's autonomy. Generally speaking, simple consultation is free, and in-depth discussion is free.
National Development and Reform Commission of Ministry of Justice
Measures for the administration of lawyers' fees
Development and Reform Price [2006]6 1 1
Article 3 Fees for lawyers' services shall follow the principles of openness, fairness, voluntary compensation and good faith.
Law firms should facilitate the people, strengthen internal management, reduce service costs, and provide convenient and high-quality legal services for clients.
Article 5 A law firm shall provide the following legal services in accordance with the law, and implement government-guided prices:
(1) Acting as an agent in civil litigation cases;
(2) Acting as an agent in administrative litigation cases;
(3) Acting as an agent for state compensation cases;
(four) to provide legal advice to criminal suspects in criminal cases, to represent complaints and accusations, to apply for bail pending trial, and to act as the defendant's defender, private prosecutor or agent ad litem of the victim;
(5) Acting as an agent for appeals in various litigation cases.
The fees charged by law firms for providing other legal services shall be subject to market-regulated prices.