This is a common question we get asked at our law office. Most lawyers place in their contingency fee agreements a paragraph regarding their rights in the event they are fired by the client. Generally, the attorney is allowed to collect quantum merit, or compensation for the reasonable value of the services he performed up until the time of termination. He can also collect the expenses he advanced into the case. This could be charges he paid to collect medical records, and other case expenses commonly associated with personal injury cases. Frequently when we take over a personal injury case from a prior lawyer, we give him 1/3 of the legal fee generated, plus their expenses.
