Lawyers tend to get a bad rap for being costly. But what many people don’t know is that most injury lawyers work on a contingency fee basis. In other words, your lawyer doesn’t get paid until (and unless) you get paid. Some firms will charge clients for disbursements during a claim, others don’t.
Wondering what disbursements are? Have questions about contingency fees? Or what happens if your lawyer loses a case? We’ll answer these questions, and more.
How does a personal injury lawyer get paid?
Nearly all personal injury lawyers work on a contingency fee basis. This means a few things. The first being that your lawyer does not get paid until your claim is settled. It also means that personal injury lawyers are typically paid based on a percentage that comes out of the settlement amount. So essentially, we don’t get paid until you get paid.
At Litco Law, you will never have to pay out-of-pocket for any legal fees while you have an ongoing injury claim.
Are there any costs that a client can expect?
Throughout an injury claim, there are expenses for things like court filing fees and police reports. In the legal world, these costs are known as disbursements. Disbursements for injury claims can range from hundreds to thousands of dollars depending on the severity and complexity of your case. They include fees for things like:
- Court filing fees
- Service of documents
- Police reports
- Demographic search
- Medical chart and reports
- Printing & faxes
- Postage & couriers
- Accessing medical reports
- Gathering expert witness assessments and reports
- Looking up land titles for slip and fall accidents
We’ll always cover the cost of disbursements during your claim, which means that Litco Law pays for those expenses while your claim is ongoing.
How does my lawyer get paid if they lose a case?
If we’re not successful in obtaining compensation for a client, we don’t get paid for that case. While some lawyers will charge for disbursements in this scenario, we’ll cover that cost. If you don’t get any money out of your claim, you won’t owe us anything.
Can you just tell us the fee already?!
It’s not quite that simple. The percentage fee for our services can vary from case to case and depend on many factors. Some firms charge staggered pricing which means that, depending on how long your case takes to settle or what stage the claim is at (i.e., does it go all the way to trial?), the percentage that got you in the door begins increasing.
We recommend consulting with multiple lawyers. These consults should be free. Then you can compare what you will be charged based on your specific case (make sure you see it in the written agreement and read carefully). Cost is important but it’s not the only factor in finding the right fit. We think it’s important to feel comfortable, heard and understood, able to ask questions, and like a weight has been lifted off your shoulders.
ProTip: Don’t forget to ask the lawyer if they cover the cost of disbursements while your claim is ongoing.
At Litco Law, we will agree on a percentage fee for our services during the consultation process. The percentage is based on the details of your specific case, and then if that works for you, you can choose to hire us, and that percentage won’t change. We’ll also cover the cost of disbursements during your claim.
So, how much?
The short answer is every case is different. The industry standard for contingency fees typically lies in the range of 30-40%. Our fees are always competitive, and always discussed with and agreed upon by the client BEFORE they decide if they want to hire us or not. And we don’t get paid unless and until you get paid. At Litco Law, we will go over the details of your claim with you in a free consult and tell you what the fee would be up front, and why.
Have questions about injury claims in Alberta?
It won’t cost you anything to book a consult. And if you do choose to file a claim through us, you will not pay us anything until your claim is resolved. Contact us today to speak to a member of our legal team for free!
