{
  "slug": "contingency-fee-net-payout",
  "title": "Contingency Fee Net Payout Calculator",
  "heading": "Contingency Fee Net Recovery Calculator",
  "category": "financial",
  "url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/contingency-fee-net-payout",
  "summary": "Calculate what you actually keep after attorney contingency fee and case costs.",
  "description": "Personal injury and similar contingency cases typically charge 33% pre-litigation and 40% if the case goes to litigation or trial, taken from the gross settlement or verdict before or after case costs depending on the retainer agreement. The order matters: if costs come out before the fee is calculated, the attorney's percentage applies to a smaller number and you keep more; if the fee is calculated on the gross amount first and costs come out of your remaining share, you keep less. This calculator computes both methods side by side using your settlement amount, fee percentage, and itemized case costs (filing fees, expert witnesses, depositions, medical record retrieval), and also nets out any medical liens or subrogation claims that must be paid from your share before you receive the final check.",
  "formula": "Method A (costs first): fee = (gross − costs) × rate; net = gross − costs − fee − liens. Method B (fee on gross): fee = gross × rate; net = gross − fee − costs − liens.",
  "dateModified": "2026-09-30",
  "run_url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/api/public/calc?tool=contingency-fee-net-payout",
  "inputs": [
    {
      "id": "gross",
      "label": "Gross settlement/verdict",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 100000,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "feeRate",
      "label": "Contingency fee rate",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 33.3,
      "unit": "%",
      "min": 0,
      "max": 50
    },
    {
      "id": "costs",
      "label": "Case costs (experts, filing, records)",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 6000,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "liens",
      "label": "Medical liens / subrogation",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 8000,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "method",
      "label": "Fee calculation method",
      "kind": "select",
      "hint": null,
      "default": "costsFirst",
      "options": [
        {
          "value": "costsFirst",
          "label": "Costs deducted before fee %"
        },
        {
          "value": "feeOnGross",
          "label": "Fee % on gross, costs after"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "outputs": [
    {
      "id": "net",
      "label": "Your net take-home",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": true
    },
    {
      "id": "fee",
      "label": "Attorney fee",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "costs",
      "label": "Case costs deducted",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "liens",
      "label": "Liens/subrogation deducted",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "effectiveRate",
      "label": "Effective fee rate on gross",
      "format": "percent",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    }
  ],
  "worked_example": {
    "inputs": [
      "Gross settlement/verdict: 100000 $",
      "Contingency fee rate: 33.3 %",
      "Case costs (experts, filing, records): 6000 $",
      "Medical liens / subrogation: 8000 $",
      "Fee calculation method: Costs deducted before fee %"
    ],
    "outputs": [
      "Your net take-home: $54,698",
      "Attorney fee: $31,302",
      "Case costs deducted: $6,000",
      "Liens/subrogation deducted: $8,000",
      "Effective fee rate on gross: 31.3%"
    ]
  },
  "how_to": {
    "title": "How to use this",
    "steps": [
      "Enter gross settlement/verdict ($).",
      "Enter contingency fee rate (%).",
      "Enter case costs (experts, filing, records) ($).",
      "Enter medical liens / subrogation ($).",
      "Enter fee calculation method.",
      "Read your your net take-home on the right — it updates as you type.",
      "Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone."
    ]
  },
  "scenarios": [
    {
      "name": "Conservative",
      "description": "Lower-end numbers — what if things land soft?",
      "values": {
        "gross": 60000,
        "feeRate": 19.979999999999997,
        "costs": 3500,
        "liens": 5000,
        "method": "costsFirst"
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Typical",
      "description": "Defaults — the most common real-world setup.",
      "values": {
        "gross": 100000,
        "feeRate": 33.3,
        "costs": 6000,
        "liens": 8000,
        "method": "costsFirst"
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Ambitious",
      "description": "Higher-end numbers — what if things really pop?",
      "values": {
        "gross": 160000,
        "feeRate": 50,
        "costs": 9500,
        "liens": 13000,
        "method": "costsFirst"
      }
    }
  ],
  "limitations": [
    "Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.",
    "Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.",
    "This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant."
  ],
  "faq": [
    {
      "q": "Why does the calculation method matter so much?",
      "a": "On a $100,000 settlement with $6,000 in costs and a 33.3% fee, calculating fee on the reduced amount after costs saves you roughly $2,000 versus calculating the fee on the full gross amount first. Always ask which method your retainer agreement uses before signing."
    },
    {
      "q": "What are medical liens and why do they reduce my payout?",
      "a": "If your health insurer, Medicare, Medicaid, or a hospital paid for treatment related to the injury, they have a legal right to be reimbursed from your settlement before you receive the remainder. Liens can sometimes be negotiated down by your attorney, which directly increases your net recovery."
    },
    {
      "q": "Is 33% or 40% standard?",
      "a": "It's common but not universal; some states cap contingency fees for certain case types (medical malpractice often has a sliding scale that decreases as the recovery grows), and some attorneys negotiate lower rates for very large or very clear-liability cases."
    },
    {
      "q": "Do I owe anything if I lose the case?",
      "a": "Under a pure contingency agreement, you owe no attorney fee if there's no recovery, but many agreements still make you responsible for case costs already advanced, like expert witness fees, even in a loss. Read the costs clause carefully before signing."
    }
  ],
  "related": [
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/attorney-hourly-vs-flat-fee",
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/small-claims-max-recovery",
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/court-filing-service-cost"
  ],
  "license": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "citation": "RevenueLab — Contingency Fee Net Payout Calculator (https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/contingency-fee-net-payout)"
}