(a) A consumer shall request arbitration by filing a written application for arbitration with the Attorney General.
"In order to recover attorney fees, a prevailing party must prove both their actual costs and their reasonableness." In re Serpentfoot, 285 Ga. App. 325, 329, 646 S.E.2d 267, 271 (2007) (attorney's fees for frivolous litigation pursuant to OCGA §9-15-14).
The average contingency rate falls between 20-40%, with most lawyers charging around 33% to 35% of the total amount recovered in a case. The exact percentage can vary depending on the complexity of the case, the lawyer's experience, and the stage at which the case is resolved.
Contingent means that an event may or may not occur in the future, depending on the fulfillment of some condition that is uncertain. This term is often used in contracts where the event will not take effect until the specified condition occurs.
§ 9-11-68, (a/k/a Rule 68 – Offer of Settlement), allows either party in a tort case to serve the other party with a written offer to settle, so long as the offer is made 30 days after service of the summons and complaint, and not less than 30 days before trial (or 20 days if it is a counteroffer).