If you or someone you love has recently suffered a personal injury due to some type of an accident, the first obvious desire is to get the best lawyer you can afford. A common misconception most people have is that attorneys cost too much. Why do we think that way? Why is this a misconception? Aren’t attorneys expensive?
Now, we have all seen the attention-grabbing headlines of big multimillion-dollar cases and figured the real winners were the attorneys involved. In reality, the answer to these questions are found within the agreement you made with your attorney right from the very beginning. How much your lawyer costs you is really within your control; it is just a matter of understanding your options so you can make the most informed decisions. It should cost you NOTHING to hire a top Puyallup personal injury attorney. The following will explain how that is possible.
DIFFERENT TYPES OF FEE ARRANGEMENTS
All attorneys have rules on the types of fee arrangements they can make with you, and there are guidelines and limitations within those rules. There are three types of fee arrangements that an attorney can make with you: A flat fee, an hourly fee, or a contingency fee. Let’s take a look at these different arrangements.
FLAT FEE
A flat fee is an agreed upon total price for services right from the very beginning. The fee would cover the attorney’s work no matter how much time the case takes to complete. A flat fee can be broken up into segments to cover the initial fee and additional expenses. A separate flat fee could also be agreed upon in the event your case goes to trial.
REASONS FOR AND AGAINST A FLAT FEE: The best reason for a flat fee is that you will know how much legal services will cost overall. It is the most straightforward approach money-wise in hiring an attorney. The best reason against a flat fee is that it is impossible to predict how long a case will truly take when dealing with a personal injury case. It is also money that you are expected to pay up front at the very beginning of your case. A flat fee is most common in criminal cases, it is not typically recommended for personal injury cases.
HOURLY FEE
An hourly fee is an agreed upon rate where an attorney will charge you by the hour for their services. You would give the attorney a sum of money to put in a trust account and the attorney would bill against that money for their work performed. A typical hourly rate can easily be over $200 an hour. This is how most attorneys operate. It is pretty easy to see how this arrangement can get expensive quickly.
REASONS FOR AND AGAINST AN HOURLY FEE: In many situations, this is your only option. An hourly fee pays an attorney for every bit of their time worked, usually in six-minute increments. If you have a legal matter that isn’t expected to take too long this can be a great option. This fee arrangement, however, requires constant monitoring and accounting as it is unfortunately too common to see these bills get out of control.
CONTINGENCY FEE
A contingency fee is an arrangement where an attorney agrees to forgo any upfront payment in exchange for a cut of the potential winnings. In this arrangement, your attorney only gets paid if you do. Some attorneys will push court costs as they accrue on you, other attorneys will also cover those upfront costs for you. The only agreement you need to make with your attorney here is what percentage of the total recovery will pay for your attorney’s work. This figure is typically around one-third of whatever your attorney recovers for you. Note: It is illegal for an attorney to accept a contingency fee on a family law or criminal case.
REASONS FOR AND AGAINST A CONTINGENCY FEE: The obvious reason for a contingency fee arrangement is that it costs you nothing upfront and that your attorney will only be paid if you are. The main reason against a contingency fee arrangement is that it may end up costing you more than in an hourly structure if your case settles quicker than expected. A contingency fee arrangement is the ONLY fee arrangement at the Law Office of Sofia K. Miguel.
SOFIA’S NO FEE GUARANTEE
Attorney Sofia K. Miguel guarantees that you will never write a check to her office under Sofia’s “No Fee Guarantee.” Any initial consultation is free and if your case is selected, then Sofia will also cover all court costs as they accrue during your case. Sofia only gets paid when you get paid. Her services will cost you nothing out of pocket; simple as that.
Let Sofia’s nearly twenty years of experience in helping people recover for their personal injuries get to work for you now. If you have suffered a personal injury, attorney Sofia Miguel is standing by to answer your questions and help you fight to get the money you deserve. Call us at 253-200-4471, come visit our office right here in Puyallup at 702 S. Hill Park Dr. #207, or contact us online anytime. We are here for you.
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