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Learn More About Illinois Class Actions

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What Does it Cost to Hire a Class Action Lawyer?

When a case is a class action, it usually means that the costs of bringing a case for just one person wouldn’t be worth it financially or time wise for the lawyer or the person with the claim. But, by bringing a class action lawsuit, an entire group of people gets representation when they have a similar claim.

How are the lawyers paid?

In some class action lawsuits there are literally millions of people who are part of the case, even if they don’t know it right away. Obviously there would be no way to get people to pay an attorney out of their pocket when they didn’t even know about a case. By the same token, it wouldn’t make sense for one person to bear the costs of hiring a lawyer on behalf of thousands or millions. As a result, class action lawyers work on what is called a contingency basis which means they only get paid if a recovery is made on behalf of the class. Their fees are set by the judge who hears the case and are paid for either out of the settlement or separately by the defendant.

What percentage of the recovery does the attorney get?

This is something you will want to discuss with the attorney but all attorney fees are subject to the court’s review and approval. It is safe to assume that if the percentage is unreasonable, the court will not approve it. Unlike personal injury lawsuits, the fees are not a straight third of the total amount and are usually much less than that. Of course if there is no recovery the lawyer gets nothing.

Who pays expenses and court costs?

Expenses and court costs are also typically paid out of any recovery amount. If there is no recovery, this is considered the cost of doing business if you are a class action attorney.

Will it cost me anything to start a class action lawsuit?

If you want to bring a class action lawsuit or at least talk to an attorney about one, there shouldn’t be any costs for you to do so. That doesn’t mean you are going to win, it just means that it won’t cost anything to check it out. This should be true whether you seek a class action lawyer in Peoria, Chicago, Champaign, Rockford, Belleville or any town in between.

What Now?

If you have any questions about class action lawsuits or would like our recommendation as to which law firm is the right fit for the type of case you want to bring, please contact us at any time. Our lawyers will speak to you for free and give an honest assessment of what you should do.