How We Get Paid

Over the years, this is a question that has come up many times. For this reason, we have dedicated this space on our website to better explain how we are compensated for our services.

Up-Front Fees, There Are None

One question we receive frequently is, “How much is this going to cost me up-front?” The answer is zero. To retain us as your lawyer and have us represent you costs nothing up front. In addition to no up-front costs, we also offer a 30 Day Client Satisfaction Guarantee. You can read more about this by clicking here.

Contingency Fees Explained

We work on a contingency fee basis. This means that our fee is based off a percentage of what we recover for you in your case. If we do not recover for you, we do not get paid for our services. It is that simple. Different practice areas have different percentages associated with the services. When you call to speak with an attorney about your case, they will be more than glad to explain the percentage that is associated with your type of case.

To better understand this, here is a straight forward explanation from the American Bar Association:

In a contingent fee arrangement, the lawyer agrees to accept a fixed percentage of the recovery, which is the amount finally paid to the client. If you win the case, the lawyer’s fee comes out of the money awarded to you. If you lose, neither you nor the lawyer will get any money, but you will not be required to pay your attorney for the work done on the case.

Social Security Disability is Different

The way we are compensated for helping people receive their Social Security disability benefits differs from the contingency fee model explained above.

The attorney working on your Social Security Disability claim will only receive an attorney fee if you win and receive back pay for the time you have had to wait for a favorable decision. The amount an attorney can charge you is regulated by law. A Social Security Disability attorney can only charge 25 percent or $7,200, whichever is less, out of your back pay. Your back pay is the amount of benefits that have accumulated during the time you had to wait for the Social Security Administration to make a favorable decision.

If the case is at the federal court level, an attorney can be paid up to 25 percent of the back pay. The limit of $7,200 no longer applies. However, at the federal court level, it may be possible under The Equal Access to Justice Act for the attorney to be paid, at least partially, by the government instead of by the claimant.

We hope this has helped you with some of your questions regarding the cost of hiring Hardison & Cochran to represent you. If you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact us by dialing (800) 600-7969 or by contacting us via e-mail.