When you need to sue for asbestos exposure, one of your first questions might be, “How much will a good asbestos attorney cost me?” It’s a reasonable question to ask if you are suffering from mesothelioma and unable to work. Of course you don’t want to get hit with attorney fees while you may be struggling enough to pay your medical bills. The answer is nothing.
Why You Should Only Hire an Attorney Who Will Work on a Contingency Fee
The best professional asbestos attorneys in the country will work for you on a contingency basis. When you retain a top quality asbestos attorney, you should never:
- pay a cent up front
- get billed
- be charged by the hour
- pay for preliminary investigation to determine whether you have strong case
Instead, a portion of the money awarded to you will compensate the asbestos attorney and the rest will go to you. And only if a judgment is won or settlements are reached in your case. If the jury decides against you, it should be clear that you would not owe any payment to the attorney for his or her time.
How much is a contingency fee?
Some mesothelioma law firms charge up to one-half of what they recover as a contingency fee. Some, like Kazan Law, charge less. Say the contingency fee is one-third. Then, for each $1,000 in settlements you get $666.67 (two-thirds) and the attorneys who represent you get $333.33 (one-third.)
Many attorneys take their percentage first and then subtract the costs of the lawsuit out of the client’s share. Our law firm subtracts the costs first – before the money is divided – so that our clients therefore get a larger proportion of the money awarded.
What are the additional costs of a lawsuit?
Bringing forward a lawsuit involves many costs. Here are several based on what happens in California:
- Complaint filing fee – $320 You pay this to the court just to get started
- Depositions – $1,000 – $2,000 per day Most of this goes to pay the fees of the court reporter who takes down the testimony of witnesses interviewed for your case and possibly for a certified videographer to video tape the interviews.
- Experts – $200 – $400 per hour Your case may require the testimony of experts with levels of knowledge in certain areas beyond the knowledge of most people. They could include building engineers, medical experts, industrial hygienists, architects, naval engineers, geologists or others with expertise relevant to your asbestos case.