For most people, one of the main concerns they have when meeting with an attorney is how much the legal services will cost.
There’s good news when it comes to personal injury litigation – you don’t have to pay for the legal services up front. In fact, you won’t have to pay for any attorney’s fees unless you win your case.
In the state of Florida, there are specific types of lawsuits, including a personal injury lawsuit, where attorneys represent you and agree to be paid with a percentage of the money that is recovered in the litigation process. This is what is referred to as a contingency fee arrangement because, as the name states, it is contingent on your case being successful.
What Will You Have to Pay to Pursue a Personal Injury Lawsuit?
While the personal injury attorney you hire can explain all this in much more detail in relation to your case, you may still have to pay other fees, such as the cost of filing the case with the court or the cost to hire an expert witness to testify in your case. If your case is successful, the expenses can also be deducted from the damages you recover. However, if you have a case that is not successful, you will have to cover the costs yourself – unless you have a contingency fee contract that states you are exempt from having to pay this. Some of the other costs you may have to cover include:
- The cost to hire or facilitate the appearance of experts, witnesses, or investigators
- Postage fees
- The cost to obtain medical records or police reports
The ethical rules regarding contingency fees, as set by the Florida Bar Association, require the presence of a written contract at the outset of your legal case that indicates the portion of your recovery that the injury attorney will receive if the case is successful. In most cases, this will be a fixed percentage of your total damage recovery; however, the percentages may be more if the case requires an appeal or retrial.
While the exact percentage that your attorney changes is dependent on the case’s complexity and the evidence’s strength, usually, it will range between 33 and 40 percent.
Since the pay a personal injury lawyer in Florida receives is contingent upon your case being successful, it isn’t uncommon for lawyers to be a bit selective in the cases they will accept. They may also request a higher contingency fee percentage for cases that are more difficult.
Hiring the Right Attorney for Your Personal Injury Case
Just because you don’t have to pay upfront for legal representation, it doesn’t mean that any attorney can provide you with the legal services you need. It’s still important that you are selective about who you hire to represent your case and help you recover the compensation you deserve.
For more information about hiring a personal injury attorney, contact our legal team at Felice Trial Attorneys Law by calling (561) 444-8822.
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