If you are considering retaining a personal injury or wrongful death attorney, it is important to understand the most attorneys will handle your case on a contingent fee basis. This means that the lawyer will be paid only in proportion to the amount that the client recovers. The benefit for client is that if there is no recovery, the attorney is not paid. However, if the client recovers money from the other side, the attorney is paid a percentage of that amount, plus reimbursement of the attorney’s actual costs.
So, how does a contingent fee benefit you? Consider the following:
· If you cannot afford an attorney, the contingency fee arrangement allows you to retain a strong advocate that will give you a fighting chance in the courtroom. This is especially important when the defendant is a large corporation or an insurance company. Few people who have suffered a serious injury can afford to pay thousands of dollars to a lawyer to handle extended litigation, so the contingent fee removes this factor.
· If your case does not have substantial merit, you will find out quickly. A seasoned personal injury attorney will not invest their time and effort into a case that doesn’t have merit. Thus, if an experienced lawyer agrees to handle your claim on a contingency fee basis, you know that he or she believes in your chance of recovery.
· When you know that your attorney’s financial incentive is directly proportional to your recovery, you can rest assured that he or she has a strong incentive to obtain positive results for you. You don’t have to worry that your lawyer is delaying or acting inefficiently in order to rack up the hourly fees. An attorney that will not be paid unless you recover is highly motivated.
· In a contingency fee lawsuit, the law firm you are working with will typically advance the expenses associated with litigation. This is extremely important if you are not in a position to pay for filing fees, expert witnesses, court reporters and the numerous other expenses that can accumulate quickly in a lawsuit. An attorney that is covering these costs upfront will act prudently and conservatively.
Contingent attorneys’ fees refers only to those fees charged by attorneys for their legal services. Such fees are not permitted in all types of cases. Court costs and other additional expenses of legal action usually must be paid by the client.
Each attorney charges a different contingent fee percentage depending on the type of case, so it is important to discuss this matter in your initial consultation. Call an experienced personal injury lawyer at Murphy & Garner in Bremen, Georgia. We offer free consultations and dedicated representation based on over 32 years of service to car accident victims in western Georgia and eastern Alabama.
