You’ve probably heard a lot of lawyers talk about working on contingency fees, but if you aren’t familiar with what that means, you could miss out on getting your case heard without having to pay a lot of money. Most lawyers use the contingency fee method for personal injury types of cases.
Ask Your Lawyer About Fees
Just because a lot of lawyers offer contingency fee work for certain cases, that doesn’t mean that all lawyers do or that all cases can be handled off of a contingency fee. It’s always very important to find out exactly what fees you have to pay to your lawyer so you aren’t suddenly surprised later on.
Make Sure You Understand What You’re Paying
Is everything about your case covered under the contingency fee? That’s a good question to ask. You may end up paying some other costs, so it’s very important to get information in writing and to ask questions about any and all payments that you may need to make to your lawyer. Get your information up front and straight from the source.
What If Your Lawyer Loses The Case?
If your lawyer is unsuccessful, you shouldn’t owe him any money. That’s how contingency works – no fee unless you win the case. Keep in mind, though, that you should still clarify that. If your lawyer has spent a lot of money on court fees and other things, it’s important to know whether you’ll be responsible for any of that, even if you don’t have to pay the lawyer’s hourly fee.
Also ask about a win in your case if the guilty party doesn’t have any money to pay the judgment. It would be important to know how you’re going to pay your lawyer at that point.