It’s not always easy being a plaintiff in a lawsuit, especially if you don’t have any money. Lawsuits are high-risk endeavors for both the plaintiff and the defendant, because the plaintiff must pay legal fees, court costs, and other expenses out-of-pocket. Many attorneys encourage plaintiffs to file overly-expensive lawsuits, thinking that if they win, the plaintiff will make enough money to handle all of their expenses. However, unless the plaintiff has the money to fund their lawsuit, they will lose.
The rise in litigants filing frivolous lawsuits has led to a rise in attorney fees. In the past decade the number of attorneys in the state who represent plaintiffs has risen 40 percent, while the number of cases filing frivolous claims has risen 58 percent. Some plaintiffs’ lawyers are even promoting a get-rich-soon, lottery-type, lawsuit financing strategy to foster new frivolous claims. And out of this pool of plaintiffs, many attorneys earn significant sums through fees. And much of that money, if not all, is given to the attorney by the class action lawsuit financing company.
There are some strategies that attorneys can use to reduce their filing fees, but it’s not always easy to do. For example, plaintiffs may need to hire an attorney who lives in the same city or state as the defendant, which makes their work more convenient. This can be a significant factor, although it’s not always good for the defendant. Another way to reduce attorney fees is to include more complex and difficult claims in a class action lawsuit loan, since they tend to cost less. Sometimes lawyers will charge a small contingency (10 percent of any potential settlement) upfront, so that their clients only pay for their attorney if they win their case.
How much does a lawsuit cost when you’re sued by someone you don’t know? First, think about how much you’ll have to pay your personal injury attorney fees and your litigation lawyer. If you’ve been injured and seek to collect damages, you may need to hire two different lawyers. One to file your lawsuit, and one to pursue the opposing party’s efforts to avoid paying up. If the case gets resolved out of court, your attorney fees will be minimal, if at all. But if you file a complaint in the county court, or in federal court, or in state court, you will need two separate attorneys to file your complaint and to pursue the opposing party’s defenses against you.
Another question to ask is how much does a lawsuit cost if you simply decide not to sue someone? Suppose you’re working at home and have a slip and fall accident, which lands on your roof. You call an attorney who represents the building company and they pay your claim. Now suppose that the building company wants to settle the claim without going to court and taking up a long court battle? What are your legal counsel costs if you simply decide not to sue?
Finally, consider how much does a lawsuit cost if you change your name after filing a claim. Suppose you accidentally misplace your phone number when filing a claim for negligence (you were trying to file a workers’ compensation claim). You’d probably call the previous company and ask for that phone number, but since you don’t have one, you might change your name! That’s a mistake that can cost you thousands of dollars in damages. You should get a lawsuit loan from an expert attorney who will help you file the right name claim and will do the discovery work for you. You should also get a statement from the lien holder verifying who has owned the property in question at the time of your filing.
