Morgan & Morgan's Payment Structure: Do You Pay If You Lose?

If you need a lawyer for any reason, it can be overwhelming and even intimidating, especially if you’ve never had to hire one before. Even when you have something to gain from a lawsuit, it can be very stressful to find the right attorney for the job. 

If you’re looking for an attorney to help you with an injury you suffered because of someone else’s actions or negligence, you’re in the right place. Morgan & Morgan has been handling personal injury cases, civil rights cases, medical malpractice cases, business litigation issues, and so much more for decades. If you need to pursue any type of civil lawsuit, reach out to Morgan & Morgan because we can help. We have attorneys throughout the United States, so no matter where you’re located, we can get you connected with an experienced and dedicated lawyer who can assist you.

As the largest personal injury firm in America, we have recovered more than $20 billion dollars for our clients throughout our career. We are everywhere for everyone. Contact Morgan & Morgan today for a free consultation.

We Operate on a Contingency Fee Basis

At Morgan & Morgan, we operate on a contingency fee basis. This means that we never request any money from you upfront, and you only pay us if we win or settle your case. We believe this allows everyone to receive the quality legal representation that they deserve without having to worry about finances. When we meet with our clients, we are happy to go over the fee arrangement, which will spell out the exact percentage that we receive if we win or settle your case. We will also let you know that you don’t have to pay us anything from your own money, and you never have to pay us if we aren’t successful with the outcome of your case. 

Benefits of Contingency Fees

The most obvious benefit of an attorney taking your case on a contingency fee basis is that you never have to come up with the money out of your own pocket. Regardless of the reason you may need a lawyer, if we agree to take on your case, this means we never charge you unless we successfully resolve your case at the trial or from a settlement. Some of the other benefits of operating on a contingency fee basis include the following:

1. It motivates our lawyers

While our lawyers are motivated to do the best job possible and present the best case they can already, operating on a contingency fee basis lights even more of a fire under them. If we agree to represent you, our lawyers know they don’t get paid unless you get paid. This should give you confidence that we will work as hard as possible to win your case. 

2. If we take your case, we believe you will have a successful outcome

Since we never collect any money upfront, we have to be somewhat selective about the cases we choose. We always offer a free consultation, so there’s never any harm in coming to speak with us about your case. If we agree to represent you, it means we are confident that we will be successful in settling or winning your case in court. Attorneys who charge hourly or those who charge a flat fee may take on more cases, but that doesn’t mean you have a better chance to recover any compensation by hiring that attorney. You will have to pay them a substantial amount of money even if they don’t win your case. 

3. You can focus more on your recovery

If you were injured in an accident, you likely have a lot of emotional and physical healing to do. By selecting a firm that operates on a contingency fee basis, you never have to worry about payments. This gives you the opportunity to focus almost entirely on your own wellbeing. While we will need to consult with you about your case, you won’t have the financial burden hanging over your head as you do when you hire a lawyer who doesn’t use contingency fees. 

4. Our lawyers can take all necessary actions to win your case

When a client is responsible for paying certain fees, such as hiring expert witnesses, lawyer fees, and expenses for obtaining medical records, this can limit us and turn a potentially successful case into one where we can’t recover anything. When a client has to pay these fees, they’re much more likely to worry about the money and ask us to not hire certain experts if they cost too much. When we operate on a contingency fee basis, we can do everything necessary to obtain a successful outcome for you. Keep in mind, we never spend your money unnecessarily. We only get paid when you get paid, so our interests are always aligned. We want to recover the most amount of money for you by spending the least amount of money, as long as it doesn’t compromise the case.

Are there any disadvantages to a contingency fee agreement?

While most people see a contingency fee agreement as a positive, there are some people who believe it is not the best way to take on cases. The one major drawback to this type of an agreement is that the attorney receives a fairly large portion of your payout if they win or settle your case. However, it’s really important to remember that without the attorney winning your case, you wouldn’t receive anything. It’s also important to remember that you never had to put any of your own money on the line — there is no financial risk to you. Almost all personal injury attorneys handle their cases on a contingency fee basis, so it’s harder to find one who doesn’t. There are always going to be a handful of people who disagree with the best way to do things, but for most people, the positives of a contingency fee agreement outweigh the negatives. 

What kinds of damages can I recover when I hire someone on a contingency fee basis?

The damages you can recover in a lawsuit have nothing to do with the payment agreement between you and your attorney. We will do everything we can to recover as much compensation for you as possible. The most common types of damages that we help people recover include the following: 

Economic Damages

In any lawsuit, one of our main goals is to recover as much compensation for economic damages as possible. Economic damages are costs and expenses you incurred that can be easily quantified into monetary terms — typically medical expenses, treatment expenses, lost wages from being injured and missing work, and anything else that you suffered from or had to spend as a result of the accident and injury that occurred. 

Non-Economic Damages

Non-economic damages are a bit harder to quantify, but we can still help you recover them. Non-economic damages include compensation for pain and suffering, reputational damage, loss of enjoyment of activities, and more, depending on what type of injury you suffered and what state you’re living in.

Punitive Damages

Punitive damages are rarer than economic or non-economic damages, but we have been successful in recovering this type of compensation as well. Economic and non-economic damages are used as a way to make the plaintiff as whole as possible — to restore them to the situation they were in before the accident and injury. Punitive damages are awarded as a way to punish the defendant when their behavior was particularly reprehensible. It acts as a deterrent from engaging in that type of behavior in the future, and it sends a message to other possible defendants as well. 

What percentage of my award do I have to pay?

This depends on the case — how complicated it is, how long it will take, and other factors. In most cases, the percentage of the award that is paid to Morgan & Morgan is between 30 and 40 percent. While this might sound like a lot, it’s again important to remember that you never have any risk by filing a lawsuit because you don’t have to pay any money upfront. This allows you to pursue a claim that you might not have been able to afford otherwise, meaning any money you recover is more than you would’ve recovered otherwise, even once our fee is taken out. 

Morgan & Morgan Is Here to Help

If you need a lawyer for a civil lawsuit but you’re worried about the fee, Morgan & Morgan is here to help. We take all of our cases on a contingency fee basis, which means you never pay us unless we win or settle your case. You won’t ever have to pay us upfront — any fee we get comes directly from the compensation that you’re awarded at trial or through a settlement. This means you never have to worry about not being able to afford an attorney. We pride ourselves on this because it makes quality legal representation affordable and available to everyone. With more than 1,000 lawyers and more than 4,000 support staff, we are the largest personal injury firm in America. We have offices throughout the entire United States, so no matter where you’re located, we can assist you. If you’re wondering, “Do you pay Morgan & Morgan if you lose?” The answer is “no.” You can receive legal representation without worrying about the cost no matter where you live. Contact Morgan & Morgan today for a free consultation.