Things An Injury Retainer Agreement Should Cover
Many personal injury lawyers offer free initial consultations for prospective clients. The consultation allows the lawyer to understand your case and its strengths. The consultation also lets you gauge whether you want to work with a lawyer. The lawyer will give you a retainer agreement to read and sign if you agree to work together.
Below are some things you may see in the retainer agreement.
Representation Acknowledgement
A retainer agreement usually includes acknowledging the legal contract between the lawyer and you. The lawyer agrees to represent you in the case to the best of their ability. You agree to allow your lawyer to represent you in the case. The parties' identities and accident time and date are part of the representation acknowledgment.
Scope of Work
The scope of work outlines what you have hired the lawyer to do for you. For an injury case, the scope of work may include:
- Negotiating your settlement
- Obtaining documents on your behalf
- Investigating the accident and handling a lawsuit (if necessary)
This part of the agreement will help you understand what you may expect from the lawyer.
Fees and Expenses
The agreement also details the legal fees and case expenses. The legal fees are the professional costs of the lawyer's representation. Cases expenses include things like:
- Accident investigation costs
- Court filing charges
- Document production costs
- Expert witness fees
- Transport and accommodation costs
The agreement should detail calculating these charges, who pays for them, any limits to the costs, and how the lawyer will recoup them. Fortunately, man lawyers handle injury cases on contingency bases, carrying all the costs and deducting them from your settlement if you win your case.
Contract Termination Terms
Your injury retainer agreement should also include a way out for either party dissatisfied with the contract. For example, you should know the circumstances under which your lawyer might stop representing you. You should also know how you might switch lawyers without incurring penalties.
Understanding of Timelines
Some agreements also help you understand the expected timeline before your case concludes. An injury case goes through multiple hoops before concluding. Case discovery, negotiations, pretrial motions, and even appeals affect your case's timeline. Understanding the timeline will help you manage your expectations.
Rights
Lastly, the agreement will also detail your respective rights. For example, the agreement may give you the right to contact your lawyer at specific times via specific channels. The lawyer may have the right to your personal and confidential information, including medical information.
To learn more, contact a personal injury lawyer in your area.
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