Free tool
Contingency Fee & Take-Home Calculator
Work out what actually reaches you after the attorney fee, case costs and medical liens come out of a settlement. The order those are deducted in changes the number, so this calculator lets you model both.
Where the money goes
Why the order of deductions matters
If the fee is calculated on the gross settlement, the attorney takes their percentage of the whole amount and case costs come out of your share afterwards. If it is calculated after costs, the costs are removed first and the percentage applies to the smaller figure.
On a $100,000 settlement with $4,500 of costs and a one third fee, the difference is roughly $1,500 in your pocket. Ask which method your retainer uses before you sign it.
What counts as a case cost
Filing fees, service of process, deposition transcripts, expert witness fees, medical record retrieval, investigators, exhibits and travel. These are separate from the attorney fee and are usually advanced by the firm and repaid from the settlement.
Medical liens are what your providers, health insurer or a government program claim from the settlement. Many can be negotiated down, which is what the reduction field models.
This calculator is general information, not legal or financial advice, and it does not account for tax treatment, structured settlements, statutory fee caps in some states or case types, or subrogation rules that vary by payer. Your fee agreement and your lawyer's advice govern.