They know how the system works... do you?
The answer below is based on material in the Auto Accident Survivor's Guide for BC. A more complete discussion of this topic is in the book. See Table of Contents and Book Index for topics covered in the book.
Some lawyers advertise: 'No fee unless you collect!' Does this mean I won't have legal fees to pay if I lose my case and don't get any money from ICBC?
Most law firms expect you to pay your lawyer’s disbursements (or out-of-pocket expenses) even if you don’t get any money from ICBC. They don’t consider these expenses to be legal fees. You may not have to pay a contingency fee if you lose your case, but you could still be responsible for thousands of dollars in expenses. Medical-legal reports alone can cost tens of thousands of dollars.
A few legal firms report that they don’t bill unsuccessful claimants for disbursements. Make sure you’re clear about what’s meant by this before you hire them – and your understanding of this point is clear in your legal contract. Lawyers can be very creative in their billing practices, and you won’t want to end up worse off than when you started.
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'No fee unless you collect' may not mean what you think it means.
You may still have to pay your lawyer's expenses for handling your claim.
A lawyer's contract protects the lawyer - not you. All terms of a legal contract are negotiable.
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