Attorney Fees in a Long Term Disability Claim

One of our office’s most commonly heard questions is: “How much do long term disability attorneys charge?”

I can certainly understand the reasoning behind the question. Suppose a disability insurance company has cut off your benefits (or never paid your disability insurance claims in the first place). In that case, you may not have any money to pay for an attorney. That is why our system of justice came up with the contingency fee agreement. It allows you to hire the disability insurance attorney of your choice without any up-front retainer. Instead, the fee is a percentage of your past-due benefits. You can get help with your long term disability claim without taking financial risks.

Why would you hire an attorney at an outrageous hourly fee costing hundreds of dollars an hour whether you win or lose the case when you can hire an attorney for a small percentage of the recovery with a no recovery, zero-fee guarantee? 

You only pay a fee at Ortiz Law Firm if we win your claim.

I am continually amazed that many lawyers still have not abandoned what I consider to be the dinosaur of billing methods – the billable hourly rate. As a consumer, I recently had the opportunity to consult with a lawyer on a trusts and estate matter that was well out of my area of expertise. I was looking for a will or revocable trust.  I was shocked to learn that many of the attorneys I contacted charged fees ranging from $500 to $1,000 per hour.  Moreover, I would be billed per hour for each attorney working on the case.  That meant if I went to a conference with five attorneys, I could end up with a bill costing up to $5,000 an hour!

It was, therefore, no great surprise when I recently read in an attorney trade journal that billings at many large firms are way down, and clients seek alternatives in fee arrangements. It appears the day of excessive hourly legal billings is going out of style, and if those lawyers don’t adapt, they may end up without future clients.

For my entire career, I have believed that an attorney should be rewarded if he successfully obtains a good result for his client. That means if there is no recovery, there should be no fee; if there is a recovery, the lawyer should be entitled to a small percentage. I believe that attorneys who work on a contingent or contingency fee basis perform a valuable service to the public because they take cases that poor and middle-class clients could not otherwise afford to bring.

I find that most clients dislike paying high hourly attorneys’ fees and that they like to tie their lawyer’s compensation to performance.  It gives him an added incentive to produce great results. A contingent fee lawyer is incentivized to work harder on a case where he stands to earn a percentage of the recovery as a fee.

We Don’t Get Paid Attorney Fees in a Long Term Disability Claim Until We Win

Ortiz Law Firm is dedicated to helping people recover the disability benefits they deserve. We handle group Long Term Disability (LTD) claims, individual disability insurance policy claims, and ERISA disability claims. We handle most long term disability claims on a contingency fee basis, meaning that we charge a percentage of the amount recovered. It is contingent in that you owe us nothing unless we win.

We thoroughly screen and investigate our potential cases to evaluate their merits. If we decide to accept your case, we will fully dedicate our resources towards a favorable recovery. Suppose your internal administrative appeal is successful, and your claim is reinstated during the appeal process. In that case, our fee is a percentage of the back pay owed and a percentage of future monthly long term disability benefits for 12 months.

If it is necessary to file a lawsuit in federal court, it’s slightly different:

• If it goes to court and you are put on claim, meaning that the insurance company starts to pay you benefits, then our fee will still be a percentage of the past due LTD benefits owed and a percentage of future monthly long term disability benefits for 12 months.
• Often, the insurance company doesn’t want to put you on claim, but they want to settle your case for a lump sum amount. In that case, our fee is a percentage of the lump sum amount.

Ready for Help with Your Claim? Contact Long Term Disability Lawyer Nick Ortiz

Long term disability cases are complex, and it is easy to become overwhelmed when you are already battling with your illness or injury. A long term disability lawyer with extensive experience, like Nick Ortiz, will guide you through the complex process to obtain your insurance benefits. Let our disability lawyers worry about the insurance company’s tricks and delay tactics.

Although located in Florida, Ortiz Law Firm represents claimants denied disability benefits across the United States. We handle disability insurance claims nationwide. If you would like to talk more about our attorneys’ fees or you would like to learn more about the long term disability process with our firm, I encourage you to contact us online or call Ortiz Law Firm at (888) 321-8131.