Accident victims in Orlando, Florida often have concerns about whether they can afford a lawyer. After all, most victims face medical bills, missed work, and other financial challenges. The good news is that most personal injury attorneys work on a contingency fee basis. That means you won’t pay any legal fees unless your lawyer wins compensation for you.
If your personal injury case succeeds, your attorney’s fees would be paid as a percentage of your settlement or verdict. The percentage is usually an agreed-upon rate based on the type of case and expected time and costs involved. Contingency fee agreements help accident victims on tight budgets get the high-quality legal representation they deserve without worrying about expenses.
What Are Different Fee Arrangements That Lawyers Use?
Lawyers use different fee arrangements depending on the type of case. In Florida, lawyers normally bill clients through hourly fees, fixed rates, or contingency fees.
Hourly Fees
Attorneys charging hourly fees bill their clients based on the time spent working on their case. Generally, the attorney charges a set fee per hour, often between $150 and $500. Billing is then broken down into segments of each hour spent on the case. For example, 30 minutes spent working will be billed as 0.5 hours.
Under this arrangement, most lawyers will first ask for a retainer to cover costs. The hourly fees would then be drawn from the retainer as work progresses. A typical retainer fee could start at anywhere from $2,000 to $10,000, depending on the attorney’s experience and the complexity of the case.
Hourly fee arrangements are common in the following types of cases:
- Civil litigation
- Family law (divorce and child custody)
- Criminal defense
- Business disputes
Under this approach, clients pay attorney’s fees through a retainer and monthly invoices if the retainer runs out. If your attorney charges hourly fees, you can expect a detailed contract explaining the billing process.
Fixed-Rate Fees
Fixed-rate fees are common in certain legal services, but not in personal injury cases. A key benefit of fixed-rate fees is that clients know what they are paying for and will not experience surprise bills and invoices.
Legal services involving fixed fees typically include:
- Estate planning services, such as drafting wills and trusts
- Preparing and reviewing business contracts
- Drafting real estate documents
Attorneys using fixed-rate agreements are comfortable doing so based on their experience handling similar work for others. They will know how long it will take to complete the requested work and tailor their fixed-rate fee to the time and work involved.
What Are Contingency Fees in a Personal Injury Case?
Before a lawyer starts working on a personal injury case, they will discuss the terms of a contingency fee agreement with their client, including the percentage they will receive if they win the case. This way, there are no surprises when monetary damages are awarded at the end of a case. Of course, no attorney’s fees are paid unless the case settles or prevails at trial.
Typical contingency fees for Florida personal injury lawyers can range from 30-40% of a total financial award recovered for the client.
Most contingency fee arrangements will also detail how costs and expenses are covered.
Costs involved in personal injury claims can include:
- Office expenses
- Costs of subpoenaing witnesses and taking depositions
- Expert witness fees
- Costs required to obtain medical records, accident reports, and other key documents
- Court fees and expenses
- Costs associated with preparing for a jury trial
Before agreeing to a contingency fee contract in your personal injury claim, you will know exactly how legal fees and other costs are calculated. This way, you have a better idea of what portion of your financial award would go to you after the claim is concluded and paid out.
How Do Personal Injury Lawyers Earn Contingency Fees?
Not all personal injury lawyers are created equal, and winning maximum compensation in a personal injury case requires time and hard work. A dedicated personal injury attorney will spend significant energy and resources fighting for the highest possible settlement or court award for their client.
When you hire a qualified personal injury law firm in Orlando, you can expect your legal team to:
- Fully investigate all the facts of the accident
- Hire the best experts when needed to support their client’s case
- Negotiate tirelessly with insurance companies
- Handle every step of a personal injury lawsuit with diligence and care
- Take a case to trial when needed to obtain fair compensation
An experienced attorney will be ready to take your claim from start to finish, without requiring legal fees upfront. You do not pay unless you win.
Contact an Orlando Personal Injury Attorney for a Free Consultation
You will pay nothing upfront to hire an Orlando personal injury attorney from Norden Leacox Accident and Injury Law. Our experienced legal team is here to answer your questions and talk about your legal options. Call our law office today to schedule a free consultation.