Most personal injury lawyers that represent the plaintiff (injured party) work on what is called a contingency fee basis. This means they do not get paid unless they can obtain some amount of monetary compensation for you. In the majority of standard personal injury cases, your lawyer will take 1/3 of any compensation obtained for you. So, if you receive $100,000 in a settlement, your attorney will get $30,000 plus reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses. Some lawyers structure their agreements on a sliding scale that is still based on a percentage of the amount of money you receive. For example, the agreement may stipulate that the lawyer gets 30 percent if you settle before a lawsuit is filed, one-third if you settle after the lawsuit is filed but during the discovery process, or 40 percent if the case has to go to trial and damages are awarded by a jury. If you hire Sheeley Law to represent you in your personal injury case, the fee will be contingent, which means that we only get paid if we win your case. We do not charge any fee for the initial consultation (regardless of how long the initial meeting lasts) or after taking your case we are unable to obtain a settlement or award on your behalf.