This type of legal claim is referred to as “No win no fee” because the attorney will waive basic legal fees unless the you he represents is awarded money in the case.
Once money is awarded, then the attorney will typically take a certain amount of money (percentage) as for a fee. A No win no fee personal injury claim is risky proposition for an attorney, and a lawyer will usually only accept a case he or she believes has merit.
A no win no fee personal injury claim is often beneficial for someone who may not have the money to pay a lawyer prior to awarding of money from a personal injury case. Since a lawyer working on this type of case will not effectively make any money unless the case is won, lawyers are very careful about what cases they accept on contingency. There are also a few things a plaintiff should consider with regard to a no win no fee personal injury claim.
While any lawyer fees are waived until compensation is awarded in a no win no fee personal injury claim, secondary costs may still be charged to a client regardless of whether a case is won or lost. These charges can include fees for making copies, mailing paperwork, interviewing witnesses, and basic court costs. A plaintiff should be aware of these costs throughout a case, and some lawyers will accept help from a plaintiff to perform these tasks, rather than charging to do them.
The percentage that a lawyer will take from a no win no fee personal injury claim can vary widely; it may be as low as 25% of awarded money if the case is settled prior to pre-trial discovery, though if the case is won after going to court the fee can be closer to 35%.
