Attorney Contingency Fee Calculator
Calculate net recovery after attorney contingency fees, case costs, and liens.
About this calculator
A contingency fee is a percentage of the settlement or verdict that a personal injury attorney keeps instead of charging hourly fees, and this calculator shows how much of a recovery actually reaches the client after that fee, litigation Case Costs & Expenses, and Medical Liens are all subtracted. The one detail that changes the math the most is When Costs Are Deducted: many contingency-fee agreements calculate the attorney's percentage on the gross settlement first and deduct costs afterward, while others deduct costs from the settlement first and calculate the percentage on what remains -- and because the fee percentage applies to a smaller base in the second scenario, the attorney's dollar fee (and therefore the client's net) can differ by thousands of dollars between the two methods on an identical settlement, which is why this single toggle can move Net to Client more than a several-point change in Contingency Fee % would. Attorney Fee itself always rises with Contingency Fee % and, when costs are deducted first, falls as Case Costs & Expenses rises (since a larger cost deduction shrinks the base the fee is calculated on); when costs are deducted after the fee, the fee is set purely by the gross settlement and contingency percentage and case costs are subtracted separately, without changing the fee itself.
Net to Client is what remains of the settlement after attorney fees, case costs, and medical liens -- all three erode it -- and is floored at zero so the calculator never reports a negative recovery when costs and liens exceed the settlement. Contingency fee percentages, cost- deduction order, and lien-repayment rules are set by the retainer agreement and, for medical liens, by the lienholder or applicable state/federal reimbursement rules (Medicare and Medicaid liens in particular follow their own statutory reduction formulas this calculator does not model) -- this is a simplified illustration of the arithmetic, not a substitute for reviewing an actual fee agreement or settlement statement with your attorney.
Legal Disclaimer
This calculator provides general estimates only and does not constitute legal advice. Laws, regulations, and court procedures vary significantly by jurisdiction. Consult a licensed attorney in your area for advice specific to your situation.
Inputs
Results
Net to Client
$98,950.00
≈ 9 years of state college
Client's Percentage
49.5%
How to Use This Calculator
- Enter Settlement Amount or jury verdict total.
- Set Contingency Fee % — standard is 33% pre-suit, 40% if trial is needed.
- Enter Case Costs & Expenses (depositions, experts, court fees, investigators).
- Input Medical Liens from hospitals, insurers, or Medicare/Medicaid that must be repaid from the settlement.
- Indicate whether Costs are Deducted Before or After the fee calculation — this significantly affects your net recovery.
- Review Net to Client and Client's Percentage to understand your actual take-home amount.
How the result changes with Settlement Amount
| Settlement Amount | Net to Client | Client's Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| $100,000.00 | $31,950.00 | 32% |
| $150,000.00 | $65,450.00 | 43.6% |
| $300,000.00 | $165,950.00 | 55.3% |
| $500,000.00 | $299,950.00 | 60% |
What each input means
- Settlement Amount
- Total settlement or verdict amount.
- Contingency Fee %
- Attorney's contingency fee percentage (typically 33-40%).
- Case Costs & Expenses
- Litigation costs (depositions, experts, court fees, etc.).
- Medical Liens
- Total medical liens to be satisfied from settlement.
- When Costs Are Deducted
- Whether case costs are subtracted from the settlement before or after the contingency fee percentage is applied.
How this is calculated
Worked example, using the default values
- Identify Input Parameters5 parametersSettlement Amount = 200000, Contingency Fee % = 33, Case Costs & Expenses = 15000, Medical Liens = 25000, When Costs Are Deducted = 1 = 5 input(s) provided
- Calculate Net to ClientNet to Client = Settlement Amount - Attorney Fee - Case Costs & Expenses - Medical Liens (floored at $0)98950 = $98,950
- Calculate Client's PercentageClient's Percentage49.5 = 49.5
- Calculate Attorney FeeAttorney Fee = (Settlement Amount - Case Costs & Expenses if deducted before, else Settlement Amount) x Contingency Fee %61050 = $61,050
- Calculate Case CostsCase Costs = caseCosts15000 = $15,000
Engine last updated . Checked against 2 independently-derived tests — how we verify calculators. Built by Paul Gunder, a software engineer, not a licensed financial, medical, or legal professional.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does the timing of cost deductions matter so much for my net recovery?
When costs are deducted before the fee is calculated, the attorney's contingency percentage is applied to a smaller base (settlement minus costs), which lowers the dollar fee compared to calculating it on the full gross settlement. On a large settlement with substantial litigation costs, switching When Costs Are Deducted between the two options can shift Net to Client by thousands of dollars even though nothing else about the case changed -- always confirm which method your retainer agreement actually uses.
Does raising Case Costs & Expenses always lower my net recovery?
Yes -- Net to Client never increases as Case Costs & Expenses rises, in either cost-deduction order. When costs come out before the fee, higher costs also shrink the fee itself (since the fee is calculated on a smaller base), but the combined effect on what the client actually keeps is still a decrease or, at best, no change -- costs are money leaving the settlement either way.
What's the difference between Attorney Fee and Total Deductions?
Attorney Fee is only the attorney's contingency percentage; Total Deductions adds Case Costs & Expenses and Medical Liens on top of that fee, so it represents everything subtracted from the gross settlement before the client sees a check. Client's Percentage is the inverse view -- the share of the gross settlement, expressed as a percent, that the client actually keeps after all three deductions.
Can Net to Client ever go negative if costs and liens are large?
No -- this calculator floors Net to Client at zero instead of letting it dip below zero into a negative number, since a settlement can be fully consumed by fees, costs, and liens but a client cannot owe money back to the settlement itself in the ordinary case. If Case Costs & Expenses plus Medical Liens plus the attorney's fee would otherwise exceed the settlement, Net to Client simply shows $0.
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