Guide
How Contingency Fees Work
The phrase "no fee unless you win" is real, but it helps to know exactly what you pay, when, and why there is nothing up front. Here is the plain-English version.
What a contingency fee is
On a contingency fee, your lawyer is paid a percentage of what they recover for you, and nothing if there is no recovery. You pay no hourly rate and no upfront retainer. The fee is commonly about one-third of a settlement reached before a lawsuit is filed, often rising to around forty percent if the case goes into litigation or trial.
Fees versus case costs
The attorney fee is separate from case costs, which are the out-of-pocket expenses of building your claim: filing fees, medical records, and expert witnesses. Most firms advance these costs and are reimbursed from the settlement. Ask any firm to put the fee percentage and how costs are handled in writing before you sign.
Why it works in your favor
Contingency fees let people who could never afford an hourly lawyer pursue a full claim, and they align your lawyer with you: they only get paid if you do, so they are motivated to maximize your recovery. The free consultation means it costs nothing to learn the terms.
Not sure where your claim stands?
A free case review tells you in minutes whether you have a claim and what it may be worth, with no obligation and no fee unless you win.
Talk to a lawyer, freeQuestions, answered
Clear answers for your situation. A local attorney can go deeper.
It is commonly about one-third of a settlement reached before a lawsuit, rising to around forty percent if the case goes to litigation or trial. The exact percentage varies by firm and case, so confirm it in writing.
On a true contingency arrangement, you owe no attorney fee if there is no recovery. Ask the firm how case costs are handled in that situation, since practices vary.
No. The fee is the attorney's percentage. Case costs are separate out-of-pocket expenses like filing fees, medical records, and experts, usually advanced by the firm and repaid from the settlement.
Typically nothing. Most injury lawyers offer a free consultation, charge no retainer, and advance case costs, so you pay only from a recovery.
Keep going
Have questions about your claim?
Connect free with a vetted local attorney. No obligation, no fee unless you win.
Available 24/7 · Free consultation · No obligation