Legal Question in Legal Ethics in Massachusetts

Re: percentage of fee for a contingency case

The percentage is usually based on the complexity of the case and anticipated return. Lawyer's who accept a fee on a contingecy are risking their time against the likelihood of recovering money from a defendant in a court action... no recovery equals he or she just worked how many days, weeks, etc for free. More complex cases require more work and geenrally are subject to a higher percentage fee agreement if they will be taken on a contingency basis at all.

The contingency fee only represents the lawyer's fees and not costs. Costs are separate and include (among others) the costs charged by the court, by the court reporter(s) who hadle depositions, the costs of experts, FedEx, etc.

Re: percentage of fee for a contingency case

The percentage is usually based on the complexity of the case and anticipated return. Lawyer's who accept a fee on a contingecy are risking their time against the likelihood of recovering money from a defendant in a court action... no recovery equals he or she just worked how many days, weeks, etc for free. More complex cases require more work and geenrally are subject to a higher percentage fee agreement if they will be taken on a contingency basis at all.

The contingency fee only represents the lawyer's fees and not costs. Costs are separate and include (among others) the costs charged by the court, by the court reporter(s) who hadle depositions, the costs of experts, FedEx, etc.