Fees
A percentage, not a clock
Most injured people can't pay by the hour while they heal. A percentage fee moves the cost to the end, and ties it to a recovery.
| Hourly billing | A percentage fee | |
|---|---|---|
| When you pay | Hourly billingEvery month, as the hours add up | A percentage feeFrom a recovery, at the end |
| If there's no recovery | Hourly billingThe bill is still due | A percentage feeNo fee. Case costs depend on your agreement. |
| What you risk | Hourly billingYour own money, from the first hour | A percentage feeThe firm carries the early expense of the case |
| Who sets the price | Hourly billingHours and rates that can change as the case does | A percentage feeA percentage written into your agreement |
A worked example
Where a settlement's money goes
Every case is different. This is the order the money moves in, and your statement shows every line.
The settlement
What the insurer agrees to pay.
Attorney's fee
A percentage of the recovery, set in your written agreement for the stage the claim ends in.
Case costs
Records and an expert's review, repaid to the firm.
Medical bills
Negotiated down before anyone is paid.
To the client
What you receive, with a statement showing every line.
More on fees
Fees and costs, in plain terms
Is the first meeting free?
Yes. We talk through what happened, what a claim might involve and how the fee works, and you decide whether to go on.
When is the percentage set?
In the written agreement, before any work begins. It doesn't change unless we both sign a new one.
Who pays the doctors and hospitals?
You still owe your providers, but we ask them to wait for the case and negotiate what's owed before the money is divided. Insurers and health plans can claim part of a settlement back; we sort that out too.
What if there's no recovery?
You owe no fee. Your agreement says whether you would owe the case costs, and Rafaela reads that line aloud with every client.
Ask about your claim
Tell us what happened and we will explain which stage of the fee would apply.