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Our Denver Office The Law Office of Sommer Stephens Luther |
How Much Does It Cost To Hire A Personal Injury Attorney? There a number of different fee arrangements that are generally used by personal injury attorneys. While there are variations, mainly these different fee arrangements include fixed fees, or flat rate fees, hourly fees and contingency fees. Generally, personal injury attorneys will enter into a contingency fee arrangement with clients. A contingency fee is where the attorney’s fees are a percentage of the amount the client collects at the conclusion of the case. This usually means that the attorney does not charge any attorney’s fees upfront and usually does not collect any attorney fees until the case is concluded. The amount of the contingency fee (or, the percentage collected by the attorney at the end of the case) usually varies depending on the type of case and the attorney. In some cases the contingency fee may change during the course of the case depending on how the case has progressed. For example, the fee agreement may provide that the attorney contingency fee is 35% if the case is settled prior to any litigation; 40% if the case goes into litigation; and, 45% if the case goes up on appeal. Fee arrangements may vary between attorneys and it is important to speak with your attorney about the fee arrangement before you hire him or her to represent you. It is important to understand that attorney’s fees are almost always separate from costs. Costs are the expenses incurred during the case such as photocopies, expert witness fees, deposition expenses, filing fees, etc. These costs (or expenses) are almost always separate from the attorney’s fees in the case. Your attorney should be able to explain how the costs of your case will be billed and collected before you hire him or her to represent you. |
