The Law Office of Stephen R. Fine accepts cases on a contingency fee basis. Instead of billing the client on an hourly basis, a contingency fee means we are entitled to a percentage of the settlement or trial award, usually one-third or one-fourth when representing a minor. If you do not receive any compensation for damages, our firm is entitled to nothing. The contingent fee is perhaps the one device in law that gives injured people, no matter what their financial means, an even break in the courtroom against giant corporations and insurance companies. Were it not for the contingent fee, people of the middle class or of low economic means would not be able to have their day in court, a constitutional right which corporations and insurance companies fight hard to eliminate.

The “contingent” aspect of the fee means that if there is no recovery, there is no attorney fee owed. There are a number of advantages to this type of fee arrangement, the most obvious of which is the absence of the risk of owing our firm a fee when there has been no recovery. Another important advantage of this type of fee arrangement is the security the client should feel from the fact that our willingness to handle the case on a contingency fee basis is a reflection of the confidence in our ability to obtain a recovery in the case.

PAYMENT OF COSTS

In connection with handling your case, it is virtually certain that we will expend funds on your behalf in order to position the case for settlement and/or trial. Expenses run from fees to get medical records, fees to file a lawsuit, transcript fees, stenographer fees, expert witness fees, and many others. In complex cases, out of pocket costs to prepare the case for trial can run into tens of thousands of dollars.

Many law firms which offer a contingency fee arrangement hold the client responsible for reimbursement of costs if the case is unsuccessful. You will not be charged any fees or costs for services unless we are successful in securing a recovery in your case. There are no up-front or hidden costs. Simply put, you pay nothing unless and until money is recovered for you.