Individuals seeking legal representation when pursuing a personal injury case should understand how lawyer fees work. Personal injury lawyers are notorious for using different fee structures, and the only way to make an intelligent choice about legal representation is to know exactly What % Do Lawyers Take for a Personal Injury Case.
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Contingency Fees:
Among personal injury cases, the most commonly used fee structure is a contingency. Under this arrangement, the attorney’s fee is contingent upon successful resolution of the case, usually through settlement or court award. If the case is successful, then the attorney receives a certain percentage of compensation due to the client. If the case fails, most clients don’t have to pay attorney’s fees. The typical range for contingency fees is 25 % to 40 % of the total recovery.
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Free Initial Consultation:
Most personal injury lawyers offer a free initial consultation to assess the viability of individual cases. With this appointment, the attorney will review the facts of your case; discuss possible legal approaches and fee structure. It’s also an opportunity for clients to ask questions about fees and get a feel for how the attorney will handle their case.
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Out-of-Pocket Expenses:
Although these contingency fees cover the attorney’s services, clients may still find themselves out-of-pocket for case expenses. This includes things like application costs, court charges; expenses for expert witnesses, and medical records. Discussing this eventuality at the initial consultation and understanding all aspects of financial involvement in a case is thus very important.
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Retainer Fees:
Sometimes personal injury attorneys ask for a retainer, most often when costs are upfront or the case is complicated. A retainer is an advance payment that goes into a trust account and is used to pay for expenses as they arise. Typically, any retainer not used by the client is refunded to him.
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Hourly Rates:
Though less common in personal injury cases, some attorneys charge an hourly rate for their work. Thus, clients pay the attorney for time spent working on their case. But, for example in other branches of law and less so in personal injury cases, there are more hourly rates. The payments to the injured clients involved cannot afford high daily fees.
Knowing about lawyer fees in personal injury cases is an important part of the legal process. Clients should read fee agreements carefully, raise questions during the first consultation, and be fully aware of all projected fees in advance. Open communication about fees keeps the lawyer-client relationship on an even keel. People who have been injured can then make good choices about fair compensation for their injuries.
To know more, please visit Oresky & Associates.
