Personal injury law firms have overhead like every other business. Their cost of doing business typically includes commercial rent for the building where they work, office equipment, payroll, and expenses for continuing education for lawyers. Although exceptions exist, overhead is typically 35 to 50 percent of fees charged, according to the Florida Bar.
When a lawyer determines fees for an injured client, they look at overhead and:
The difficulty of a case
The time they need to spend on the case
Their experience
Cases that require more research and thorough investigation take longer to prepare. As a general rule of thumb, the more time a lawyer spends on a case, the more money they receive in a settlement.