11 Apr What is a contingency fee?
by: Jeremy Schatz, Attorney
Often, potential clients make the same statement, “I need to hire a lawyer but I can’t afford one.” However, the use of contingency fees gives clients the ability to pay for legal services out of the clients’ recovery should there be one. If there is no recovery, then generally the client owes nothing. Put simpler, the lawyer provides his or her legal services for free until the client is awarded monetary relief through settlement or trial verdict.
Generally, contingency fees are determined at the beginning of the case, after your free consultation. This type of fee agreements is often ideal as it aligns the attorney’s financial interests with the client’s financial interests.
Contingency fees are important in the legal process in that they give access to the judicial system to people who may not have enough funds to pay an attorney upfront. The majority of the cases handled by The Patton Firm are done so on a contingency fee bases.
However, contingency fees are not allowed in certain types of cases, most notably criminal cases, and most family law issues.
If you believe you have a potential claim, give The Patton Firm a call for a free consultation.
Required Disclaimer: No representation is made that the quality of legal services to be provided is greater than the quality of legal services performed by other lawyers.