--- title: "How Much Does a Lawyer Cost? | Hancock Injury Attorneys" description: "No upfront fees, no fee unless we win, and we never take home more than you. See how Florida contingency fees work. Free consultation: (813) 915-1110." url: "https://novacock.carlosarias.com/your-case/how-much-does-a-lawyer-cost" --- Your Case # How Much Does a Lawyer Cost? How contingency fees work in Florida, what case costs are, and the fee promises we make to every client, including never taking home more than you. [Call (813) 915-1110](tel:+18139151110) [Free Case Consultation](/contact/) ## What Hiring an Injury Lawyer Really Costs Worrying about legal bills should never keep you from getting help after an injury. At Hancock Injury Attorneys, you pay nothing upfront and no attorney's fee unless we recover money for you. Here is exactly how that works. ## At a glance 1. ### Free Consultation Talk with us at no cost and no obligation, by phone, video, at your home or in our office. 2. ### Written Fee Agreement You receive the agreement and Florida's Statement of Client's Rights before anything is signed. 3. ### We Advance the Costs We pay case expenses as they come up, so you never write a check to keep your case moving. 4. ### Paid Only If You Recover Our fee comes only from a settlement or verdict. No recovery means no fee and no costs owed. 5. ### Clear Closing Statement You see every dollar: recovery, fee, costs and bills. Absent extenuating circumstances, we never take home more than you. ## The Short Answer: Nothing Upfront We take 100% of our cases on a contingency fee. That means we are paid only when we obtain a monetary recovery for you, through a settlement or a verdict. We never charge upfront fees or retainers, and you will not receive hourly bills. If there is no recovery, you owe us no attorney's fee. We also advance the costs of your case, and we do not hold you responsible for those costs if we do not obtain a successful outcome. ## How a Contingency Fee Works A contingency fee is a percentage of the money recovered in your case. Because our fee depends on the result, our interests line up with yours. The more we recover for you, the better for both of us, and we have every reason to tell you honestly whether a case is worth pursuing. The percentage is set out in a written fee agreement before we begin, so there are no surprises later. ## How Florida Regulates Injury Fees Florida does not leave contingency fees entirely up to lawyers. The Florida Bar's rules (Rule 4-1.5) limit what an injury lawyer may charge and require certain protections: - A written agreement. Every contingency fee contract must be in writing and signed by you and the lawyer. - A Statement of Client's Rights. Before you sign, you receive this statement. It explains your rights, including your right to discuss and negotiate the fee and to cancel the contract within three business days of signing it. - A fee schedule. Typically, the fee may not exceed 33⅓% of a recovery up to $1 million if the case is resolved before the defendant answers or arbitration is demanded, and 40% after that point through trial. Lower percentages apply to any portion of a recovery above $1 million. - A closing statement. When your case resolves, you receive a written statement showing the total recovery, the fee, the costs and what you receive. For many clients, the starting point is the general 33.3% contingency fee. Your written agreement spells out exactly what applies to your case, including whether the percentage changes if a lawsuit becomes necessary. ## Attorney's Fees vs. Case Costs Fees and costs are different things. The fee is what the firm earns for its work. Costs are the out-of-pocket expenses of building and presenting your case, such as: - Charges for medical records and police reports - Court filing fees and fees for serving a lawsuit - Court reporter and deposition transcript charges - Fees for doctors, accident reconstructionists and other professionals who review or testify about your case - Mediator fees We advance these costs so you never have to pay them as the case goes along. If there is a recovery, case costs are typically reimbursed from it, as your fee agreement explains. If there is no recovery, you are not responsible for them. We are careful with costs and work hard to keep them to a minimum, because every dollar saved is a dollar that can go to you. ## No "File Set-Up Fees" or Mystery Charges Some firms add charges that are hard to explain. We do not charge a "file set-up fee," and we do not charge clients unnamed and unspecified "administrative costs." If a cost appears on your closing statement, it is a real expense of your case, and we can tell you exactly what it was for. ## Our Promise: We Never Take Home More Than You Here is a problem many injured people never hear about until it is too late. After the fee, costs and medical bills are paid from a settlement, a client can sometimes end up with less money than the law firm. Many firms take the full stated contingency fee anyway. We do not. Unless there are extenuating circumstances, if a client is expected to receive less than our fee, we reduce our fee so that our client gets more money than we do. Read more about the Hancock Promise. ## Same Fee, More Experience Because Florida's rules cap injury fees, most injury lawyers charge similar percentages. So the real question is what you get for that fee. For the same contingency percentage you might pay a less experienced lawyer, you get Mike Hancock: more than 35 years of personal injury experience, an AV-Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell, and an insider's knowledge of how insurers evaluate claims from his years as an insurance defense attorney. You meet with Mike, not a paralegal, and he stays involved in every part of your case. It is all the same contingency fee percentage. ## The Consultation Is Free Case consultations are always free, with no obligation. We meet when it works for you: by phone, at your home, by email, FaceTime or Zoom, on weekdays or weekends. Even if we do not take your case, we will give you real advice about your next steps. ## Questions to Ask Any Injury Lawyer About Fees Whoever you hire, ask these questions before you sign: 1. What percentage do you charge, and does it change if a lawsuit is filed? 2. Who pays the case costs if we lose? 3. Are costs deducted before or after the fee is calculated? 4. Do you charge any administrative or set-up fees? 5. What happens if my medical bills leave me with less than your fee? We are glad to answer every one of them before you sign anything. ## Talk With Us for Free Call (813) 915-1110 or contact us online to schedule your free consultation. You will know exactly how our fee works before you decide anything, and you can see the stages of a case in our guide to how the legal process works. ### Questions About Fees? Call (813) 915-1110. We will walk you through our fee agreement line by line, free and with no obligation. [Free Case Consultation](/contact/) [(813) 915-1110](tel:+18139151110) ## Frequently Asked Questions Do I have to pay anything upfront? No. We never charge upfront fees or retainers. We are paid only if we recover money for you, and we advance the costs of your case along the way. What happens if we lose? You owe no attorney's fee. We also do not hold you responsible for the case costs we advanced if we do not obtain a successful outcome. What percentage will you take? Florida Bar Rule 4-1.5 limits injury fees, typically to 33⅓% of a recovery up to $1 million if the case resolves before the defendant answers or arbitration is demanded, and 40% after that through trial. Your written fee agreement states exactly what applies before we begin. Can a lawyer end up with more money than the client? It can happen at some firms when medical bills are large. At our firm, unless there are extenuating circumstances, we reduce our fee so that you receive more money than we do. Is the consultation really free? Yes. Case consultations are always free, with no obligation, and you can meet with us by phone, at your home, or by FaceTime or Zoom, on weekdays or weekends. ## Keep reading [### How the Legal Process Works What happens in a Florida personal injury case, stage by stage, from the free consultation and investigation through negotiation, mediation and trial. Learn more](/your-case/how-the-legal-process-works/)[### What to Do After an Accident A practical, step-by-step checklist for protecting your health and your claim in the hours, days and weeks after a Florida accident. Learn more](/your-case/what-to-do-after-an-accident/) ## Your Case - What to Do After an Accident - How the Legal Process Works - How Much Does a Lawyer Cost? Speak with our team ### Let’s talk about your next step. - (813) 915-1110 · answered 24/7 - 1317 W Fletcher AvenueTampa, FL 33612 - 2224 Ashley Oaks Circle, Suite 102-EWesley Chapel, FL 33544 - 10485 Heley StreetSpring Hill, FL 34608 - No recovery, no fee [Free Case Consultation](/contact/) [**Mike Hancock**Founding Attorney · Since 1996*Former insurance defense attorney*](/about/attorneys/mike-hancock/) Here when you need us ## Let’s talk about what happened. One conversation. Clear answers. A team that takes your case personally. [Call Hancock Today**(813) 915-1110**](tel:+18139151110) Free consultation No recovery, no fee