How Much Does A Houston Personal Injury Lawyer Charge? The Basics Of Fee Agreements In Houston Personal Injury Cases
When a person is injured in an accident due to the fault of another person, in almost every case the last thing they want to think about is how much a personal injury lawyer might cost them in legal fees. Along with medical expenses, treating an injury, and being out of work, the stress of hiring a lawyer on top can seem like a daunting task. However, there are many misconceptions about how legal fees work and how lawyers charge their clients. It is, therefore, important for those who have suffered from an accident caused by negligence to understand the usual types of fees and costs they face in a case, and the typical ways that lawyers charge for their services.
Fees and Costs in a Houston Personal Injury Lawsuit
At the outset, there are typically two types of expenses that come up in a Houston personal injury lawsuit. The first is called “costs”. Costs are not legal fees paid to a lawyer, but are, instead, expenses that are required to bring the case. These expenses typically include, but are not limited to:
- Filing costs – these are expenses charged by the court to file a case. The court may also charge filing fees for filing certain types of documents through the course of the litigation;
- Costs for professional services – this may include things like private mediation fees or expert fees, depending on the case, and can also include things like process servers;
- Deposition costs – hiring a professional court reporter service if deposing a witness in the case is an additional cost typically to the party taking the deposition;
- Other litigation costs – costs for copies, faxes, mailing costs, and other costs of the litigation also must be factored in.
On the other hand, “fees” refers to the money that a Houston personal injury lawyer charges for their services. These are legal fees and they are paid to the personal injury lawyer or lawyers.
Types of Fee Agreements: Contingency and Hourly
There are two ways that personal injury attorneys typically charge legal fees. The first is hourly. An hourly fee arrangement is one in which the lawyer bills the client hourly for their services, and also invoices for costs associated with the case that they pay up front. The second is called a “contingency fee” agreement. Under a contingency fee agreement, the personal injury lawyer agrees to represent the client in their case, and only gets paid if they win or settle the case. In these types of arrangements, the client may pay for costs, or the lawyer may front the costs and recoup them off the top of any settlement or award in the case. In either case, no matter how much time the lawyer spends on the case, the percentage of attorneys’ fees from the award or settlement remains the same. If the lawyer doesn’t recover anything for the client, the client typically owes nothing.
Contact Us Today for Help
A “no recovery no fee” contingency arrangement is attractive to many people interested in hiring a lawyer. The experienced Houston personal injury lawyers at the Gilde Law Firm work on a contingency fee arrangement and offer a free and confidential consultation to see if they can help your case. Contact the experienced Houston personal injury lawyers at the Gilde Law firm today and get your free and confidential consultation started.
