The contingency fee systems works well for people who lack the funds to take legal action. The lawyer receives a percentage of the award. For some services, lawyers will track and bill time spent working for you. This includes time spent answering your telephone calls, doing research, preparing documents, talking to the other side's lawyer, going to court and so on. Different lawyers in a law firm often have different hourly rates.
Senior lawyers charge more per hour than lawyers who are just starting out in practice.
Sometimes, it makes sense to have a senior lawyer working for you, simply because he or she may be able to handle your legal issue more quickly and therefore more economically in the long run. A lawyer's fee may also depend on how complicated your case is, the difficulties faced and the final outcome. Except when working for a set fee, your lawyer may not be able to predict exactly how much it will cost to handle your case. Many factors can affect the total cost of legal services, including the complexity of the issues, necessary research, difficulty in dealing with the opposing side or trying to reach an agreement or settlement, the need to go to court and unexpected problems. Costs can change as your case progresses and it is wise to make sure that your lawyer understands your maximum price limit and how close your lawyer is to approaching that limit as the case develops.