There are many reasons you may want to pursue an employment law claim in California.
You may feel you’ve been the victim of discrimination because of your age, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or a range of other protected personal characteristics.
Similarly, you may have suffered retaliation at work, been wrongfully or constructively discharged, or have been the victim of sexual or other harassment.
If you are in need of a California employment lawyer and are interested in hiring a contingency fee attorney, this article will go over the details of how contingency fee lawyers work for employment law cases.
If you have questions or would like to move forward with one of our employment attorneys, please contact us today
How Contingency Fees Work in Employment Law Cases
The concept of a contingency fee is simple enough:
You do not owe your lawyers anything for their legal services unless you prevail on your claim and recover some money.
You might win in court or at trial, settle with your employer or former employer, or recover something through administrative proceedings.
Regardless, the rule is the same.
If you don’t recover any money, you don’t owe anything for your lawyers’ legal services.
If you do recover, all you owe for the attorneys’ fees is a percentage of the total amount you recovered.
The percentage will be negotiated ahead of time between you and your lawyers, but may vary (from 25% to 33% or 40% or more) depending on the kind of case, how likely you are to succeed, and when in the process the recovery occurs.
California law requires a contingency billing arrangement to be in writing.
Additionally, the document must include:
- Details on the contingency rate that you and your attorney agree to;
- A statement regarding how expenses and costs are calculated, and how they impact the total amount the client receives;
- Information on whether the client will have to pay for associated attorneys’ fees incurred from related matters that arise outside of the contingency arrangement; and,
- Other provisions depending on the details of the case.
WRLG Attorneys Take Employment Law Cases on a Contingency Fee Basis
If you have a legitimate employment law claim, you shouldn’t be denied quality legal representation because you are worried about paying lawyer fees. At WRLG, our attorneys represent workers on a contingency fee basis. This means that we get paid only if we recover money for you. We invite you to contact our firm today to find out whether you have a valid claim.
Other Expenses and Fees Involved in California Employment Law Cases
After resolution of their cases, whether through settlement, administrative proceedings, or a court case, many employment law clients are confused by how litigation “costs,” as opposed to fees for the legal services themselves, are accounted for in the total recovery.
“Costs” are those out-of-pocket expenses that contingency lawyers often advance on the client’s behalf to pay for things like:
- Court filing fees,
- Court reporter’s fees,
- Subpoena and service of process fees,
- Jury fees,
- and the like.
Make sure your written contingency fee agreement with your employment lawyer spells out and answers all your questions.
For example, you should discuss who is going to pay the costs and determine how they will be calculated and accounted for if you recover money on your employment law claim.
Make sure you understand how the following costs will be handled:
- The costs of filing your case with relevant administrative agencies or court clerks;
- Expenses related to discovery, including court reporters who charge for depositions; and,
- Any other funds a contingency lawyer for employment claims will expend to protect your interests and legal rights.
We Offer Free Consultations and Contingency Fee Representation
You do not need to give up your rights in an employment law matter just because you are worried about paying attorneys’ fees.
This includes discrimination claims, sexual and other harassment matters, retaliation cases, wrongful termination matters, and many more areas of employment law.
The Los Angeles employment law attorneys at Workplace Rights Law Group will protect your legal rights, without an upfront investment from you.
We do not charge unless you prevail in your claim, so please call (818) 844-5200 or send us an online message to schedule your free case review.
RATE THIS POST
Loading...
Theo Khachaturian
Theo is a trial & appellate lawyer whose practice has emphasized wage-and-hour class actions, business disputes, wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment, and intellectual property theft. He has tried civil cases and argued before various California Courts of Appeal.