Our Promise – NO FEE UNTIL YOU WIN! – IF YOU DON’T GET PAID, WE DON’T GET PAID! – WE GUARANTY IT IN WRITING!

At our injury law firm, we recognize that injuries suffered as a result of an accident can cause tremendous financial hardship for our clients and their families.

For this reason, we do not charge any up-front legal fees to represent our clients and their families. We only get paid once we have successfully won in court or settled our client’s case.

Our fees are calculated as a percentage of the total amount that we recover for our clients (usually 30%) and in most cases we also pay the disbursements such as court fees, medical legal reports and experts which can cost thousands of dollars. We recover those costs only if we win our client’s case.

We discuss the percentage with our clients in advance and the arrangement is set out in writing in a retainer agreement so that there is never any surprises on what it costs to hire us as your injury lawyers.

Our initial consultation are always free and there is no obligation to retain us after the meeting.

Types of Fee Arrangements

There are various fee arrangements available between clients and lawyers. The two most common are: 1.  Hourly Rate Fee and  2.  Contingency Fee.

Hourly rate fees (1)

In this situation, the client pays the lawyer an agreed upon hourly fee for work performed by the lawyer (usually, this means between $200 and $450 per hour) and the lawyer sends the client monthly accounts to be paid which includes fees, expenses and HST. In this situation, the lawyer also usually requests a financial retainer (i.e. a deposit) for work to be completed. The amount of the deposit ranges, usually between $500 and $5000, depending on the complexity of the case and the urgency of the matter.

Most people are unable to afford to retain a lawyer based on an hourly rate and that is why in many cases, lawyers offer contingency fee arrangements. This allows clients access to justice by retaining qualified lawyers to handle their cases. At our injury law firm, we handle most personal injury cases on the basis of a contingency fee arrangement because that is what our clients have demanded.

Contingency fees arrangements (2)

Most people are unable to afford retaining a lawyer on the basis of their hourly rates. Our injury and accident lawyers handle most personal injury cases on the basis of a contingency fee arrangement. What does this mean? It means that some clients who in the past could not afford to pursue certain claims because they could not afford to hire a lawyer may now be able to do so.

Contingency fees can prevent prohibitive upfront costs and allow for greater access to justice, particularly for individuals who cannot afford a lawyer .

Contingency fees are good because?

It allows injured persons access to experienced injury lawyers.

The lawyer does not get paid until the client gets paid. This encourages lawyers to work very hard for their clients.

The lawyer makes more as the client makes more, so there is an incentive to get as much fair compensation as possible.

What are contingency fees?

Contingency fee arrangements tie a lawyer’s fee to the outcome of a case. If the client wins the case, the client pays his or her lawyer a percentage or other agreed-upon portion of the settlement. If a client loses, the client doesn’t pay – the lawyer accepts the risk of not being paid when taking a case on a contingent basis. In cases of no contingency fee, the client would pay the lawyer’s bills on an ongoing basis, as the case is prosecuted.

Contingency Fee Retainer Agreement

Our standard written contingency fee retainer agreement (which is the name of the agreement you sign to formally hire us to handle your claim), confirms that you pay no fee unless you obtain a settlement and it also contains a simple example of how the fee is to be calculated. We believe strongly in being upfront and direct about the financial aspect of your case. Please ask us any questions that you may have before signing our agreement.

Ottawa Personal Injury Lawyer Network – Ottawa Personal Injury and Accident Lawyers – 613-315-HURT (4878)