Many personal injury victims are skeptical about hiring lawyers to file their claims. A lot of reasons inform this skepticism. However, one significant reason is the high cost of legal representation. Lawyers charge a lot for their services, and they no longer deny this fact. In most cases, though, the high attorney fees are justified.

However costly it is, hiring a personal injury attorney after an accident is the best choice you can make for your case. This is because an attorney significantly increases your chances of winning. Essentially, a lawyer brings on the expertise and experience that laypeople cannot have. They also know how to navigate the personal injury system to get you the best results.

4 Reasons for High Attorney Fees

Contrary to popular belief, lawyers don’t charge high fees simply because they can. There are some legitimate causes for the sometimes exorbitant attorney fees and retainers.

  • Long and Costly Education

In the United States, people require post-high school education before they can practice as lawyers. Many times, qualifying lawyers don’t even stop after getting called to the bar. They often go for higher degrees, including Masters and PhDs. The general idea is that the more educated a lawyer is, the better their chances of success.

All these educational pursuits cost a lot of money. So, it’s not unusual to see lawyers paying off significant student loans years after graduation. Worse still, lawyers don’t earn money during their training. A lawyer is essentially gambling that if they pay high school fees, they can recover the money when they start practicing.

  • High Demands of the Profession

Solving legal puzzles isn’t a tea party. Often, an attorney’s actions and inactions can determine the quality or outcome of clients’ lives. For instance, a lawyer can be careless enough to conclude a client’s injury settlement before noticing that the injury requires future medical treatment. In such a case, the client may suffer a diminished life quality if they can’t foot the future medical bills.

Therefore, since lawyers undertake high-stakes jobs, negotiations, and court appearances, it’s only reasonable their pay equals their efforts. Add to this the stress and mental exertion they undergo to get good results. The inevitable conclusion will be that they deserve all that they charge.

  • The Legal Profession Is Regulated

Not everyone can become a lawyer. There’s a strict process through which one must pass before they can practice in American courts. You must get a law degree. You must also pass the bar exam of your state.

These aren’t minor exams because many people fail them yearly. Therefore, there are fewer lawyers in America. The simple laws of demand and supply in economics thus allow the few lawyers to charge higher attorney fees.

  • Overhead Costs 

Disputants often forget that lawyers, like other businesses, also have to cover overhead costs. Running a firm isn’t just about knowing the law. A lawyer also has to pay certain bills to stay afloat. Such recurrent expenditure includes:

  • Office lease bills
  • Electricity bills
  • Staff salaries
  • Cost of advertising
  • Cost of part-time staff such as investigators

These are the basic bills lawyers have to pay. Depending on the size of the firm, the costs may be higher or lower. However, essentially, your lawyer’s fees don’t always go into your lawyer’s pockets.

Do You Have To Pay Your Attorney‘s Fees Upfront?

Since hiring an attorney is sometimes inevitable, knowing whether you have to pay them before starting work on your case is essential. Therefore, it’s great news that you don’t have to pay your attorney’s fees upfront. Many Maryland attorneys work on a contingency fee basis. A contingency fee arrangement (CFA) occurs when the attorney-client contract specifies that the lawyer will only collect their fee when they win the case.

Therefore, the lawyer gets nothing if they lose. This arrangement protects the client against losing both their case and the money they paid their lawyer. However, it also motivates an attorney to win the case since their fee depends on its success. Finally, many attorneys also offer free consultations for potential claimants. It’s after examining your case that the attorney’s fee discussions can arise.

Maryland Personal Injury Attorneys Can Help You!

If you have sustained an injury in Maryland, you should hire the best Maryland personal injury lawyers available. Our charges are proportionate to the quality of services we offer you. Furthermore, you can rest assured that we’ll approach your case with the utmost professional conduct.

Furthermore, our attorneys at Pinder Plotkin have multiple years of experience. We can exploit all these experiences to get you the maximum compensation for your case. So, call us today for a FREE consultation.

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