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For people who have never hired an Illinois lawyer before or don’t know how personal injury attorneys in Illinois are compensated, the #1 concern that they have is "how much is this going to cost me? " While some types of lawyers can be expensive, the good news if you need an Illinois accident lawyer is that almost every one of them only charges if they are successful. This is called working on a contingency basis. In other words, their fee is "contingent " on them making a recovery for you.

You have probably seen on TV a cheesy and perhaps slimy commercial of an accident lawyer saying, "We don’t get paid until you do! " As enticing as that may sound, if you have been injured due to someone else’s negligence you can expect that every lawyer you call will only get paid when you do.

Typically attorneys in Illinois charge between 1/3 to 40% of the total amount they recover for you, although sometimes it’s higher, sometimes lower depending on the type of case and facts. Whether it’s a Naperville personal injury lawyer or a car accident attorney in Champaign, taking on a client is risk/reward for the law firm. Sometimes this means that lawyers earn a lot of money for little work and other times it means the lawyer spends hundreds of hours on a case and not only comes away with nothing, but also loses all of the money that they have advanced for expenses.

Some law firms in Illinois will ask a client to pay for the costs of gathering medical records or to file a suit. If that happens to you, we suggest that you call our staff lawyers (800-517-1614, based in Chicago, help with accidents in every county in Illinois) to see if there is a better option for you. The lawyers that we know throughout Illinois, due to their years of success, practically never ask a client to pay for any of the costs related to a case. We have found that many of the Illinois personal injury law firms that do ask their clients to contribute to the costs of a case either don’t have the money to back a case – bad sign – or aren’t established – also a bad sign.

If a law firm doesn’t have the money to fund the basics of a case, then they won’t have the money to take your case to trial. If you have significant injuries it is really important that the law firm in your corner have the ability to go through with a trial. If not you could be forced to settle for less than your case is worth.

Please note that the lawyers we know only work on a contingency basis when they see a significant injury and they believe they can prove someone else is at fault. In addition, the potential defendant has to have the funds to pay a judgment. If your son gets shot by a gang banger and dies, while there are obvious damages, the reality is that you likely can not collect from the scumbag who committed the crime because they probably have nothing. On the other hand, if you are rear-ended on the highway by a semi-truck driver you can expect that the defendant has insurance and the ability to pay whatever damages they caused.

If any of this is confusing don’t worry. As a non-lawyer you aren’t expected to understand all of this. A good attorney will take the time to explain how things work to you. If you would like our lawyers to answer any questions you have or provide you with an attorney referral, please fill out our confidential contact us form or call us toll free, (800) 517-1614 to speak with an Illinois attorney. We will do whatever we can to help you even if that means helping you realize you don’t need an attorney.

Since 2001, findgreatlawyers.com has helped tens of thousands of people with their Illinois legal problems. Whether you have an auto accident in Aurora or a premises liability claim in Springfield or any other type of case, our state wide network of attorneys that have a track record of success and treating their clients with respect can work for you. Find out why our users feel that having access to findgreatlawyers.com is like having a lawyer in the family.