Fee Structures

Contingency Fee Cases
Where permitted, the firm offers a Contingency Fee Contract where the attorney’s fees are paid only if the client recovers on the claim. These types of fee structures are usually found in personal injury claims, nursing home claims and medical negligence claims. By law, this fee structure is not permitted in cases involving Family Law matters. Business matters are also handled, at times, on a contingency fee basis.

At Saunders Law Group, our contingency fees contracts do not usually require the client to pay any costs that are incurred during the investigation of a claim or during the actual litigation of the claim. At the successful conclusion of the case, the costs advanced by the firm are repaid from the settlement proceeds or verdict. If no money is received by the client, the client is not required to repay any costs advanced, nor is a fee owed.

Contingency fees normally range from 33% to 40% depending on whether the matter is settled prior to the filing of a lawsuit and at what point the lawsuit is resolved.

Flat Fee Cases
The Firm will also accept certain cases on a flat fee arrangement where the client pays only an agreed upon and one time fee for the particular services required. Thus, if the case is resolved in one hour or one year, the fee remains the same.

This type of fee arrangement allows the client to know exactly how much a particular service will cost and provides an obvious incentive for the lawyer to resolve the matter in as quick a time as is possible.

Hourly Rate Cases
In recent history, this is probably the most commonly known type of fee arrangement where the client pays an agreed upon hourly rate for each hour or part of an hour that the attorney works on that client’s particular matter.

Hourly rates vary depending on that staff member’s training and experience. In all events, however, Saunders Law Group works closely with clients to maximize productivity while keeping client’s costs as low as possible.

The client receives a detailed billing summary at the end of each month which describes the specific services provided, the amount of time charged for that service, the staff member or attorney performing that service and the total amount owed.

Combination Fee Cases
Nothing prevents a client from negotiating a different fee schedule with the lawyer or law firm and combinations of the above are usually possible. The client should not be concerned or hesitant to discuss with the lawyer the different ways a particular matter can be handled and the different legal fee arrangements that can be offered on a particular matter.