A Win-Win Scenario: Attorney Fees Explained
While attorneys are often referred to by a number of unflattering names, it’s not often that we react to defend ourselves. Our endeavor is to defend others, and in a world where technology and social media allow everyone to be a critic, we’ve come to expect the occasional jab. It is certainly true that individuals in the legal field have given attorneys a bad reputation over the course of our profession; however, many people malign lawyers because they have a misguided understanding of how we are compensated for our work.
For a good portion of the cases we take, our compensation is based on a contingent fee. This means that if our clients don’t get paid, we don’t get paid. Obviously, it is in our best interest to do all that we can to recover the largest amount possible for our clients, and an attorney’s contingent fee is usually between one third and forty percent of the total recovery.
Working the way we do has a number of benefits for our clients and the community at large. When you become a client of Wittmer & Linehan PLLC, beyond 50+ years of legal education and experience at your disposal, you have a team focused completely on results as you face challenges from insurance companies and the complexity of the legal system. By working on a contingency fee, we’re not concerned with billing our clients for the hours we work. We’re concerned with success and nothing less.
Aligning our success with our clients’ success is a great source of motivation, and provides obvious benefit to our clients. In the unlikely event that we don’t win the case, our clients don’t owe us anything. That said, this is a benefit we rarely need to deliver.
The greater advantage of the contingent fee is that it allows people who may not be financially secure to get the protection they deserve. No one expects to get injured in a vehicular accident or to get hurt at work. No one expects to slip and fall when they go out in public, or to deal with a disputed will upon the death of a loved one. Litigating against insurance companies with very deep pockets can be daunting. Not only do we pay our staff and provide the office supplies necessary to handle each client’s case, we also advance all costs and fees, such as charges to consult with experts and bring them in as witnesses. The total cost to take a case to trial can exceed $50,000. A contingent fee insures that everyone can have a partner to make it through trying times.
Not everyone who walks through our door becomes our client, but we make sure each person walks out with valuable new knowledge. Our job as local attorneys is to protect the people in our community, and offering free consultations allows us to do that in a very effective way. Because we’re a team that truly believes results matter, we aim to create a win/win situation every time we sit down with someone to discuss their case.
Have you or a loved one been injured in an accident, whether in a vehicle, on the job, or while you were out and about? Do you need help negotiating social security disability, or resolving a dispute surrounding a trust or family estate? You have nothing to lose in a free consultation with Wittmer & Linehan, and perhaps everything to gain. Contact us to find out how we can help.
