Many who have never used a lawyer before may find the process intimidating.
You may wonder whether free personal injury lawyers exist in Los Angeles.
The truth is, there is no such thing as a free personal injury lawyer in Los Angeles, but there is an affordable one.
In this article, we will share some insight on how to find an affordable personal injury attorney in Los Angeles.
It may be confusing when a personal injury lawyer agrees to take your case and doesn’t require upfront payment of any fees or costs.
In these situations, the attorney accepts your case on a contingency basis.
Here, we’ll talk about hiring a personal injury lawyer in Los Angeles and how a contingency arrangement works.
What Does Contingency Mean?
When a lawyer accepts your case on a contingency basis, the fee is contingent on the outcome of your case.
Put another way, if the attorney fails to obtain a settlement or win a judgment on your behalf, the attorney receives no compensation.
Contingency fee agreements do not require a client to pay a retainer fee or attorney costs.
What Is a Fee Agreement?
California law requires all lawyers to provide written fee agreements to their clients. A fee agreement includes vital information about how attorney fees are calculated and what legal services the attorney will provide.
Most fee agreements provide that the representing attorney receive anywhere from 35% to 40% of any settlement or judgment obtained. Personal injury attorneys also deduct legal costs from any settlement or judgment.
The fee agreement must provide information about whether the attorney fees are deducted before or after determining the legal costs.
Once signed, a fee agreement represents a legally binding contract. Take time to read carefully through any proposed fee agreement and write down questions you may have, and request further clarification.
What Are the Fees For a Personal Injury Attorney in Los Angeles?
When looking to hire an affordable personal injury lawyer in Los Angeles, it’s essential to understand legal fees and legal costs.
Attorney fees represent the wages an attorney charges for work done for each client. Depending on an agreement or the attorney’s office policy, a lawyer’s fees may be based on the following:
- An hourly rate,
- A flat rate for a particular project,
- A portion of the compensation obtained for a client (this is usually the basis of a contingency fee arrangement).
A personal injury attorney may offer a free consultation in Los Angeles. Be sure to ask questions about any prospective attorney’s fees during this initial consultation about your injury.
Legal costs represent the particular expenses associated directly with your case.
Legal costs include the following:
- Administrative costs like photocopying, postage, etc.,
- Filing costs of documents in court,
- Retention of expert witnesses for trial,
- Deposition costs,
- Travel,
- Retention costs for private investigators,
- Service of process of necessary parties,
- Obtaining police reports, and
- Obtaining medical records.
Depending on your agreement with your personal injury attorney in Los Angeles, an attorney may request for you to pay legal costs as they occur.
In most cases, a client may pay nothing to cover any legal costs upfront. Instead, the attorney deducts the fees associated with the case after obtaining a settlement or judgment.
Contact Us to Talk With a Los Angeles Personal Injury Attorney
If you’ve suffered injuries in an accident, contact the attorneys at Weinberg Law Offices.
At Weinberg Law Offices, we work diligently to ensure that you receive fair compensation for your losses. We offer free initial consultations and take cases on a contingency basis.
After an accident, you may understandably feel overwhelmed and angry at how to move forward. We are personal injury lawyers that are here to help. When we say no-win, no-fee, we mean it.
Disclaimer: This content should not be construed as legal advice.
As a personal injury attorney, my mantra is that there is no such thing as a “small case”. I will give 100% matter how big or small a case may be. I am fluent in English, Hebrew, and Spanish, languages which I use regularly in my practice.
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