Litigation is complicated. Getting a referral is the first step. Interview the attorney to find out what types of cases he or she has handled. Ask about costs. Clients often pay not only for the attorney's work but also for the court filing fees, copying and faxing charges, traveling expenses, etc.
Attorney fees vary according to years of practice, expertise and the matters involved.
But if the case is unsuccessful, the plaintiff owes the attorney nothing. It can take months or years to get past the pretrial stage, depending on how complicated the case is and how busy the court is. Only 5 percent to 10 percent of all filed cases go to trial. An even tinier percentage of cases get appealed. In discovery, both sides gather information and evidence.