What Does a Mesothelioma Lawyer Cost?

If you've been recently diagnosed with mesothelioma or have recently suffered a loved one's death from the disease, you may be facing many unexpected costs. Upcoming medical treatment or unpaid medical or funeral bills from your recently deceased loved one may already be overwhelming at this tough time, so finding money to pay a lawyer to file a claim could seem intimidating or impossible.

Out-of-Pocket Legal Costs

Mesothelioma Justice Network recommends working with legal representation who work on a contingency fee basis, which means you won’t pay out-of-pocket legal expenses. Instead, your lawyer will take a percentage of your settlement as compensation should you win. You won't pay anything should you lose. A typical contingency fee is about a third of your settlement to cover legal fees. Your attorney then takes attorney-fronted legal expenses from the remainder of your settlement before you receive any monies. You can pay attorney fees and legal expenses yourself in order to retain more of your settlement, but it is good to research the typical legal costs of your type of case as well as consider the risk that you will not win a judgment.

Additional Legal Expenses

Legal expenses for mesothelioma cases include attorney fees as well as legal staff salaries for time spent on your case. These two legal fees are the costs that would be covered by a contingency fee should you choose that route. You will have to pay these costs yourself, many times including a substantial retainer, should you not choose a contingency route.  In addition to attorney fees, there will filing fees for the initial complaint plus any subsequent motions, charges for obtaining medical records, fees for deposition transcripts, jury fees and payment to professional witnesses and investigators. Mesothelioma cases many times require medical expert witnesses that can cost thousands of dollars.

Medical Expenses

It is important to understand that initiating a legal case does not keep you from having to pay out-of-pocket medical expenses. Even with good private insurance, costs of deductibles, co-pays and medicine will likely cost thousands of dollars and need to be paid as incurred, not deferred in expectation of a legal settlement. This is an important cash flow consideration when choosing whether to hire an attorney on a contingency basis or not.

Facing so many unexpected costs can be overwhelming. Understanding your options will allow you to pick the path that best fits your circumstances fiscally and emotionally.