Law Commons^™

Of Ethics And Economics: Contingent Percentage Fees For Legal Services, Janet Ann Laufer

Akron Law Review

The contingent percentage fee "is the dominant system in the United States by which legal services are financed by those seeking to assert a claim." The contingent fee is practically the exclusive method of compensating attorneys in personal injury cases.' Contingent percentage fees are also frequently employed in antitrust litigation, class suits, minority stockholder suits, worker's compensation practice, tax practice, and will settlements.'I While the Ethical Considerations of the Code of Professional Responsibility authorize use of the contingent fee in most civil cases," contingent fees are generally considered unethical when applied to criminal cases, divorce cases, and arrangements for procuring …