Billing for legal services
At Harty Jewell, most of our cases are taken on a contingency fee basis. However, for appeals, estate planning and estate litigation, and some consumer protection cases, we may charge either an hourly fee or a flat fee depending on the type of case and its complexity.
We understand that hiring a lawyer can be a stressful and unfamiliar task. We try to take the guesswork and stress out of this process.
For most of our personal injury and product liability cases (i.e. mesothelioma and other asbestos injuries, motor vehicle accidents, premises liability, mold litigation, and other toxic exposure litigation), we charge a contingency fee of 33% to 40% depending on the type of case. This means that we do not charge a fee unless we obtain a settlement or a verdict for you. If we do, then we take our 33% or 40% out of the settlement or verdict. We also generally advance the costs of the litigation and recover those costs from the settlement or verdict. This way, our fee and the case costs do not come out of your own pocket.
Some of our consumer protection cases are brought under laws that allow us to recover our attorneys fees and cost from the defendant. If your case fits under one of these laws, we will ask for our attorneys fees and costs in our suit paperwork.
Finally, for some of our services, such as handling appeals or performing estate planning or litigation, we may charge a flat fee or an hourly fee depending on the type of case and its complexity.
What ever the fee structure is, we will make sure you completely understand any charges at the outset of the case so that there are no surprises. This is also always addressed in our retainer agreement or engagement letter.