Attorney fees and legal expenses are two different categories of expenses associated with a lawsuit. It’s important to understand the difference, particularly in a malpractice lawsuit or personal injury claim in which the attorneys’ fees are on a contingency basis.

Hiring an attorney and having to pay a high dollar fee or a legal retainer for legal services up front is often a barrier to people seeking justice which is especially painful if you’ve been harmed or injured by another’s negligence or malpractice. You may not be able to afford an attorney on an hourly basis.

At Wallace Wason, PLLC, we remove that barrier by operating on a contingency fee basis. This is also known as a contingent-fee basis, but both terms mean the same thing.

What is a Contingency Case?

In order to be able to help more people, Wallace Wason, PLLC only collects a fee for our legal services if your case resolves for an amount of money. This means that, in contingency cases:

  • we do not charge our clients an hourly rate for the legal work that our team handles for you, and
  • we only collect a percentage of the total compensation when we win a money award for you.

Because our compensation is tied to your compensation, we are motivated to work hard for you and resolve your case for highest award possible, in the least amount of time. Because every case is different, you understand that no results can be guaranteed, but rest assured that if we take your case, we will fight hard to win the maximum compensation for you.

What Are Legal Fees vs Expenses?

Legal fees are the monies that an attorney collects for the legal services provided to clients. Often, attorneys charge by the hour which can result in high legal bills before any lawsuit is even filed, but we take almost all cases on a contingency basis. The exact percentage will vary and may change over the course of your case, so be sure to check your representation agreement.

Legal expenses are the costs related to our pursuit of justice in your case that must be paid on an ongoing basis before any monies have been won for your malpractice or personal injury claims. There are many unavoidable expenses in malpractice cases, from basic postage fees which are minimal, to extremely expensive expert witness fees and everything in between. See also: What are Legal Expenses?

If you have been injured or harmed by another’s negligence or malpractice and need an attorney who doesn’t charge an upfront cost for legal services, contact Wallace Wason, PLLC for a free, no-cost case evaluation today.