Personal injury law is full of moving parts that rarely get explained before a person needs them. Few clients arrive at a first meeting asking about jury instructions or the evidentiary foundation for a medical bill. They ask two practical questions: how do contingency fees really work, and how long will my case take. Those answers are grounded in Florida law, local court habits, insurer behavior, and the facts of the injury. If you live or were injured in Palm Beach County, the shape of your case will look a bit different than it might in Tampa or Tallahassee. The mechanics are the same, but the tempo, the negotiating posture, and the court’s docket matter.

This flainjurylawyer.com car accident lawyer palm beach guide breaks down the fee structure that most personal injury lawyers in Palm Beach use, what expenses sit outside the fee, and how that money is distributed at the end. Then it walks through a realistic timeline, from the first week after an accident to settlement or verdict, with candid notes about what speeds cases up and what slows them down. Sprinkled throughout are field-tested practices that tend to produce better outcomes, and a few pitfalls that cost clients both time and dollars.

How contingency fees work in Florida personal injury cases

A contingency fee means the attorney’s compensation depends on the result. If there is no recovery, no fee is charged. The exact percentages and the required disclosures in Florida are guided by the Rules Regulating The Florida Bar, and nearly every reputable personal injury lawyer in Palm Beach uses a written fee contract that conforms to those rules.

Most firms use a tiered percentage that changes based on the stage of the case and the amount recovered. While every agreement must be read and signed before representation begins, here is the typical shape:

Pre-suit settlements usually fall in the 33 1/3 percent range for amounts up to a defined threshold, often the first million dollars. If the case resolves before a lawsuit is filed, that lower percentage reflects the lower time and risk burden on the attorney. After a lawsuit is filed, the fee typically increases to 40 percent for amounts up to the same threshold. Litigation involves depositions, expert disclosures, motion practice, and trial preparation, which all demand more time and outlay. For amounts above the first tier, the percentage often steps down on the incremental recovery. The idea is that higher recoveries carry economies of scale.

Those ranges arise from standard Florida Bar guidelines. A specific case may justify a different structure, but that must be explained and signed by the client. Ethical rules also require a Statement of Client’s Rights in contingency cases. You are entitled to read and ask questions about it, and a lawyer should give you time to do so.

Expenses are not the same as fees

Clients sometimes hear no fee unless we win and assume that means not a penny comes out of their pocket under any circumstances. In practice, reputable firms advance litigation costs, then recover those expenses from the settlement or verdict. Costs are the hard-dollar outlays necessary to build and prove the claim, not payment for the lawyer’s time. Common examples include medical record charges, filing fees, service of process, deposition transcripts, expert witness fees, accident reconstruction models, and trial exhibits. In Palm Beach County, a contested liability auto case with two treating doctors often results in hard costs in the $3,000 to $15,000 range by the time depositions conclude. A products case or a trucking collision with multiple experts can run well beyond that.

Most fee agreements state whether costs are deducted before or after the percentage fee is calculated. That arithmetic matters. Subtracting costs first produces a smaller fee and leaves more net for the client; subtracting them after the fee increases the fee slightly. Florida permits either method if disclosed. Insist on clarity in writing.

What happens at disbursement

At the end of a successful case, the settlement funds land in the lawyer’s trust account. No distribution should occur until the money clears the bank. The firm prepares a settlement statement that shows the gross recovery, deducts attorney’s fees, itemizes costs, and addresses outstanding medical balances and liens. Hospital liens, Medicare, Medicaid, workers’ compensation carriers, ERISA plans, and certain health insurers may all assert reimbursement rights. Good lawyering during lien resolution can swing the client’s net by thousands or tens of thousands of dollars. On a $250,000 settlement,

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