A plaintiff financing advance is when you sell or assign a portion of your settlement to a financial company in exchange for upfront money. They are almost always structured to be non-recourse and not a loan, meaning if your case loses, you keep the money and pay nothing back. If you win, you reimburse the money plus any fees and further returns you agreed to at the time of the advance. Usually, these fees and returns are more expensive than a typical loan or even credit card interest.