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Attorneys who charge on a contingency basis take a fee after the case is over rather than charging hourly as they do the work. This type of fee arrangement is used for injury and other cases where you are suing for an amount of money. If you win, you pay your attorney a portion of what you recover at trial or in settlement (generally 1/3), and if you lose the case, you pay nothing.

Contingency fees make sense in cases where you are seeking damages because you might not have the money to pay an attorney upfront or during the case, but if you win you’ll have a lump sum from which to pay a fee. So attorneys take these cases on this assumption, but knowing all along that they could end up with nothing if the case is lost. It’s a risk, but a potential reward, as well.

Will County contingency attorneys handle anything from slip and falls to car accidents to debt collection cases. When looking for an attorney, experience and a focused practice (on one or two types of law) are always important. Location also can be important. For routine contingency cases, we often recommend a local attorney. Hiring a Will County attorney for a Will County case there can give you an advantage if the attorney has a good local reputation, knows the local court staff, judges and other attorneys.

On the other hand, if you have a large case or a particularly unique case, you might do better with a big firm out of Chicago. Contingency cases, especially medical malpractice, can be expensive. All costs are paid upfront by the law firm, so you want a firm with a lot of resources and not an attorney who needs to get paid quickly and will push too hard for you to settle because of it.

Don’t be fooled into thinking that an attorney who promises “No Fee Unless You Win!” is giving you a special deal. The type of fee is driven by the type of case you have. If you have a personal injury case, you’re almost certainly going to pay no fee upfront, not matter who you hire. That’s how a contingency fee works, and we disagree with using it as a gimmick to get clients.

If you want to know more about how contingency fees work in different cases (the amounts vary a bit), or if you need help finding a contingency attorney in Will County, whether your case is out of Joliet, Plainfield, Braidwood, or any other town in the area, please contact us. It’s free and confidential.