My Lawyer Wants Me to Sign a New Contingency Fee Agreement
I was hurt in a car wreck about a year ago. I hired a lawyer and signed an agreement to pay him on a contingent fee. Now, he wants me to sign a new agreement. What should I do?
Is there a difference in the terms of the agreement? Is the difference material?
Technically speaking, your lawyer must complete the job he was hired to do under the terms of the original agreement. However, sometimes circumstances can change and it your lawyer may seek to re-negotiate the agreement. Whether you should agree depends on the circumstances.
For instance, you should rarely agree to give your lawyer a greater contingency fee that he originally agreed to accept. I say "rarely" because it is possible that there are circumstances that would justify a change in the fee agreement, but those are very rare.
If you are uncomfortable with changing the agreement, seek the advice of another lawyer. The charge for such advice will be minimal, and it may save you lots of time and money in the long run.
