No Fee Unless You Win: What That Actually Means

You've seen it on every injury lawyer's ad: no fee unless you win. It sounds almost too good. So what's the catch? Mostly, there isn't one — but it's worth understanding how it actually works before you sign anything.

Contingency fees, explained

A contingency fee means the attorney handling your case is paid a percentage of what you recover. If there's no recovery, you don't owe a legal fee. That's the whole point: it lets people who could never write a big retainer check still get represented.

The fine print worth knowing

• Case costs vs. legal fees. Things like filing fees and medical records have a cost; how those are handled if the case doesn't win should be spelled out in writing.
• The percentage is agreed up front and disclosed.
• If your case is referred to trial counsel, New York rules say that sharing the work between lawyers doesn't raise your total fee.

Bottom line

Asking costs nothing. A free case review tells you whether you have a claim and what to expect — no commitment, no bill.

Related reading

• Slip and fall in NYC? Here's what to do
• The straight-talking sister site: NYC Injury Line.

ButtHurt NYC is an intake and referral service from the Law Office of James Medows. Mr. Medows doesn't personally handle personal injury cases; with your written consent your matter goes to an experienced injury attorney at no extra cost to you. General info, not legal advice.

Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. This article is general information, not legal advice.