What will it cost me to hire a lawyer?

There are generally two categories of compensation an attorney receives for handling a case: attorneys’ fees and expenses. The attorneys’ fee compensates the attorney and his or her staff for the time and expertise it takes to handle your case. Sometimes attorneys agree to be paid on a contingency fee basis. This is when an attorney contracts to represent a client and be paid based on a percentage of the amount recovered in the case. The lawyer receives an attorneys’ fee only if he or she wins or settles your case. In some cases, however, attorneys contract with their clients to be paid on an hourly basis, a retainer basis, or a combination of the two.