Launching a lawsuit an intimidating prospect, particularly when it comes to cost and affordability. With personal injury law, you do not pay your lawyer until you get paid yourself from a settlement. If you win your case, you will pay your lawyer agreed-upon professional fees for litigating your case. Usually, some of these costs are paid by the other side. In addition, your lawyer will need to recoup disbursements at the end of the process - all the expenses that were incurred to litigate, such as couriers and travel. Usually, the other side - if unsuccessful - pays almost all of the disbursements. (Note: both fees and disbursements are subject to applicable taxes.) If you lose your case, your lawyer gets paid no professional fees at all. However, you are still responsible for covering the disbursements and will have to pay your lawyer for those.

Before you begin anything, your lawyer will discuss these issues with you, and draw up a contingency fee agreement. This outlines among other things, the legal fees that you will pay if your lawyer achieves a successful result. In other words, the fees you pay are contingent upon your lawyer's performance.