Paul Watson
In some cases, you may require the services of a lawyer in Houston but be unable to pay the standard fees. In this case, you would benefit most from hiring a Houston contingency lawyer.
In the following article, we will explain what a Houston contingency lawyer does and what it means to follow a contingency fee arrangement with the attorney you hire.
What does a contingency lawyer do?
While, at first, you may assume that a contingency lawyer practices some varied type of law, in fact, contingency lawyers are just like all other lawyers except for one factor: How they get paid for their legal work. Contingency lawyers accept a unique form of payment.
Essentially, contingency lawyers don’t get paid unless you do. This type of attorney is good to hire if you’re not sure how you’re going to pay any legal fees but you desperately need a lawyer to work your case. This includes many individuals who are not independently wealthy as well as small business owners.
When you hire a lawyer on a contingency basis, they must win your case for you before they are paid. They will work hard on your behalf, and once damages are awarded at the end of your case (pending they have been successful), they will receive a percentage of those damages. The percentage of the final award that your Houston contingency lawyer will receive usually ranges from 5% to 50% of the total damages.
The alternative to working on a contingency basis is working for an hourly rate. Some lawyers only work for hourly rates. These attorneys will be paid no matter what — whether they win your case or not. Just remember that their hourly rates can be substantial. It’s best to ask how long a lawyer like this expects to need to work on your case. They may not be able to give you a set number, but if you can get some idea, you can begin to decide whether you want to pay hourly or on a contingency basis.
In the event that a contingency lawyer loses your case, you will not need to pay them. Of course, it’s important to mention that even if you’re not paying an hourly rate to your contingency lawyer, you still may be responsible for certain fees. Depending on the work required for your case, your lawyer may charge you for fees associated with expert witnesses, court filing fees, and other charges.
Are you interested in hiring a contingency lawyer?
If the contingency fee arrangement sounds like something you are interested in, just remember to inquire with the lawyers you are considering before hiring one. Not all lawyers in the Houston area will work on a contingency fee basis.
