Attorneys who represent injured people generally do so on a contingent fee basis. This simply means that the fee is contingent upon the client's recovery. The fee is a percentage of the client's recovery, typically one third. The percentage of fees can rise to forty percent if the case is tried to a verdict to a judge or jury.

Since the fee is contingent upon the client's recovery and is a percentage of the client's recovery, if there is no recovery, there is no fee. Simply put, the lawyer gets paid when the client gets paid.

Costs are different from fees. Litigation costs are basically a no interest loan from the lawyer to the client. Costs are for such things as police reports, medical records and reports, deposition costs, and expert witness fees. According to a ruling by the Washington State Bar Association, the client bears the ultimate responsibility for costs whether the case is a win, lose, or draw.

More importantly however, a contingent fee allows injured people to have access to justice. Commonly, when contingent fee lawyers work by the hour, they charge in excess of $350.00 per hour. The contingent fee enables an injured person to retain a lawyer without spending huge sums of money. Typically, the people we represent at the Donchez Law Firm are out of work due to the nature of their serious injuries and would be unable to pay an attorney in any event.

When a case has been settled or tried to a verdict and there is a sum of money to disburse to the client, and perhaps other providers and or insurance companies, a final accounting is prepared. The final accounting sets forth all funds received on behalf of the client and calculates fees and costs so that the client is fully aware of the monies that are being expended.