That said, the most common lawyer contingency fee average ends up being 33%, or ? of the total earnings of a case, but can go up to 40% (in some jurisdictions) as the complexity and risk involved in taking the case increases.
In the United States, lawyers are unable to use contingency fees for criminal cases, divorce and family law cases, and domestic relations cases, with similar rules in Canada. With criminal cases, there is usually no financial recovery, so using a contingency agreement to cover payment would be useless.
Is There a Contingency Fee Percentage Limit in California? In California, you will usually not see a contingency fee over 40% for most law firms.
Contingency fees mean you will pay the lawyer a certain percentage of the money you receive if you win the case or settle the matter out of court. If you lose your case, the lawyer does not receive any payment from you.
A contingency fee is a form of payment to a lawyer for their legal services. In contrast to a fixed hourly fee, in a contingent fee arrangement lawyers receive a percentage of the monetary amount that their client receives when they win or settle the case.