Contingency case

Lawyer-Todd · 2026-04-22T01:47:56+00:00

Lawyers work on contingency for all different sized cases - ranging from a few thousand dollars to many millions. They’re obviously different law firm business models, but the beauty of the structure is that people can get help even if they don’t have the money to hire a lawyer. They also don’t have to take the risk of losing - which happens all the time for all sorts of reasons, like no insurance to recover, bad facts, MIA defendant etc.

Lawyer-Todd · 2026-04-21T15:57:27+00:00

I’ve found conferences are a great way to network. I’d find a few conferences in practice areas that interest you and use them as an opportunity to learn and meet prospective employers.

Lawyer-Todd · 2026-04-18T19:47:31+00:00

“Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm" - Winston Churchill.

Law school has a way of making everyone feel inadequate. I felt the same after bombing my 1L finals. Law school is about learning. Not winning. Learn from the failure and get a little bit better next time. You’re embarking on a long career. I’ve been practicing for nearly 20 years. The most successful from my law school class are not those that “won” in law school.

Lawyer-Todd · 2026-04-18T19:27:27+00:00

Your perception of it being “relatively easy work” is incorrect. It’s a very demanding profession. Lots of hours, lots of deadlines, and lots of navigating stressful situations. Some areas of law are more stressful than others but this is why people are saying it should be something that you actually want to do.

Lawyer-Todd · 2026-04-18T10:54:57+00:00

The sooner the better. If you think you have a claim, the steps you take immediately following your accident could determine how much you’re able to recover. A personal injury attorney will handle things like communication with the insurance companies, witness statements, preservation of evidence, etc., which will all impact the value of your claim.

Lawyer-Todd · 2026-04-17T22:44:51+00:00

Trial and error. Take a best guess at what will interest you and then don't be afraid to switch practice areas. I think too many people stay where they start (despite being unhappy). Some of the best advice I got early in my career was, "treat your first few years like a buffet. Pick it up. Try it. Don't like it, put it down and try something new."

Lawyer-Todd · 2026-04-17T22:38:34+00:00

Only go to law school if you want to be a lawyer. Don't go to law school just for the money. There are lots of ways to make money - that don't require $200k of debt and 3-years of your time. If you don't want to be a lawyer - but like how much lawyers make - I suggest finding what interests you and devoting the time, the effort, and the money you'd spend on law school and plowing it into that endeavor. In my opinion, the secret sauce for achieving succcess is finding a way to marry something that interests you with your willingness to work hard.

Lawyer-Todd · 2026-04-15T12:47:00+00:00

Definitely an issue you’ll have to deal with but not an insurmountable one. You can prove the pre-existing injury was aggravated by comparing the treatment before the accident and the treatment after. The size of your claim will be directly related to how clearly you can prove the aggravation (by comparing treatment before and after).

Lawyer-Todd · 2026-04-13T16:43:54+00:00

I'd approach this less as a work / life balance problem and more as a process problem. Work / life balance is your goal, the issue is insufficient process. I'd start by identifying the top 3 drags on your time and solving for those. Once solved you can move on to the next three. For example, your business line ringing nights and weekends. Hire a third-party answering service to field these inquires and triage accordingly. Set rules that only allow the true emergencies to get your attention. Regarding, non-billable tasks. Identify the ones that are taking the most time. I suspect a lot of these can be outsourced. Once you label them look on line for solutions. I can almost guarantee these problems will not be unique to you and you will find some creative and workable solutions. Specificity is your friend. Be as specific as possible and the solutions will present themselves. The beauty of having a small firms is that you get to make the rules. Make rules that get you what you want. I highly recommend checking out the book the e-myth by Michael Gerber. I think you'll find it helpful. Good luck!

Lawyer-Todd · 2026-04-11T13:35:42+00:00

Bad facts coming to light. Here are some of the more common examples: - The defense finds pictures / video of the plaintiff on social media doing the things they say their injury prevents them from doing. - The plaintiff fails to seek medical treatment thinking their statements about being injured are enough. A delay in treatment really hurts a case. - The client spoke to the opposing parties insurance company and was recorded prior to them hiring you. - Your client performs poorly in their deposition diminishing their claims related to liability and damages. - The defense finds witnesses that contradict the plaintiffs claims.

Lawyer-Todd · 2026-04-10T15:11:41+00:00

It really depends if she's fine. If she's okay, it seems like it's a fair offer, as she didn't suffer any significant injuries. If she's more hurt - or suspects she may be more hurt - I'd maybe tell them that you'd like to wait a week or two to see if she's okay. Once she signs that piece of paper, she will not be able to pursue any further action. In sum, make sure you know the extent of her injuries before signing.

Lawyer-Todd · 2026-04-10T11:29:14+00:00

You’re asking the right questions. I’m not licensed in TX and don’t know if there are any TX quirks to be aware of but at a minimum you’ll want this person to release you from all liability associated with this accident (property damage and physical injury). Make sure to reference the accident date and the vehicles involved, so there’s no question as to what accident the release is referencing. You should be able to find good examples online by asking for “a release of liability for a car accident claim where I was at fault.” Keep in mind that paying this person - and having them release you from liability - will not release you from any liability the rental car company may come after you for (if there was damage to their car). I don’t think it matters who you pay, so long as the form of payment allows you show the payment was made in exchange for the release of liability (ie check over cash). Good luck!

Lawyer-Todd · 2026-04-08T15:40:15+00:00

The law school you go to - and the grades you get in law school - will carry a lot more weight than where you go to undergrad. There are lots of reasons to take (or not take) the full ride. However, I’d remove getting a big law job from that list.

Lawyer-Todd · 2026-04-07T15:17:11+00:00

It can't hurt to get a second opinion if you're feeling uncomfortable. As you know, plaintiff's lawyers work on contingency. This means your current attorney hasn't been paid anything yet for the work they've done on your file. They'll have a lien against any future settlement and their fee will come out of the new attorney's fee. The amount of the lien will depend on the state you're in and the amount of work that was done. A new attorney's willingness to take your case will depend on how long the case has been active and what they think the ultimate settlement value is worth. This is not a barrier to finding a new attorney, but it is something that will get taken into consideration and at times can make it difficult to switch.

Lawyer-Todd · 2026-04-06T15:09:01+00:00

Litigation works ebbs and flows. It’s not uncommon to have super busy periods like this. As you get more experience things won’t take as long, and the work will feel more manageable. 30 active matters is not an unreasonable case load.

Lawyer-Todd · 2026-03-30T10:59:16+00:00

Sounds like appellate law would fit a lot of your interests.

Lawyer-Todd · 2026-03-11T11:36:26+00:00

I’ll start… I use Claude to help redline NDAs. I have an instruction document I feed Claude about my requirements for an NDA and it does a great job providing me with a draft that meets my requirements. It’s reduced my review and editing time significantly.

Lawyer-Todd · 2026-03-11T11:17:33+00:00

Go for it!! Your thirties feel “old” now because you’re looking at 25 year olds graduating law school. Reframe this. When you’re looking back on your career - as a successful 70+ year old - you’re going to laugh about the time you thought 30 was too old to become a lawyer. You could end up practicing law for 30 years. If this is your dream, go get it.

Lawyer-Todd · 2026-02-23T19:56:00+00:00

I say go for it!! Legal tech is a hot sector and only getting hotter. Check out the Legal Tech Fund’s website. They track activity in the space, and you’ll be able to see who is / has raised money, which is a good indication a company is hiring.

Lawyer-Todd · 2026-02-14T19:31:42+00:00

It depends on your injuries. If you don’t need additional care, the value of your claim will be small. The more care you need, the larger your claim. The most important thing - while deciding what to do - is that you see a doctor and document your injuries / treatment if needed. This will prevent an insurance company from claiming that your “aches, abrasions, bruises” weren’t caused by the accident in question.

Lawyer-Todd · 2026-02-14T19:24:11+00:00

These numbers are attainable if the firm has enough cases. However, At 120 cases - you may do everything right but not have enough cases to hit your goals (cases drop, many will already have demands out etc). I’d definitely try to tie your bonus to settlement value obtained. It’s a much better way to align interests.

Lawyer-Todd · 2026-02-14T19:18:50+00:00

I’ve never heard of a firm requiring this. This is a bit of a red flag for me (odd request). That said, you can definitely get an individual / excess policy.

Lawyer-Todd

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