Contingency Fee Agreement with an Attorney or Law Firm

There are various types of attorney fee arrangements such as time based, fixed, or contingent. Time based means a fee that is determined by the amount of time involved, such as so much per hour, day or week. Fixed means a fee that is based on an agreed amount, regardless of the time or effort involved or the result obtained. Contingent means a certain agreed percentage or amount that is payable only upon attaining a recovery, regardless of the time or effort involved.

With a contingent fee arrangement, the lawyer receives no fee unless money is recovered for the client. Upon recovery, the lawyer is paid an agreed-upon percentage, usually ranging from an amount equal to 25 to 50 percent of the amount recovered. A written fee agreement should specify the costs and expenses to be deducted and whether such costs and expenses are to be deducted before or after the contingent fee is calculated. Contingent fee agreements are generally not permitted for criminal cases or domestic relations matters.

Even if there is no recovery, however, the client is still responsible for court costs (filing fees, subpoena fees, etc.) and related expenses, such as telephone charges, investigators' fees, medical reports, and other costs.

This form is a fairly typical contingent fee agreement