Rex says
Money math without the spreadsheet headache. Plug in your numbers and I'll show you exactly where the dollars land.
Try a scenario
Click to load — tweak from there.Inputs
Result
Your net take-home
$54,698
Attorney fee
$31,302
Case costs deducted
$6,000
Liens/subrogation deducted
$8,000
Effective fee rate on gross
31.3%
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How to use this
- 1Enter gross settlement/verdict ($).
- 2Enter contingency fee rate (%).
- 3Enter case costs (experts, filing, records) ($).
- 4Enter medical liens / subrogation ($).
- 5Enter fee calculation method.
- 6Read your your net take-home on the right — it updates as you type.
- 7Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.
About this calculator
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.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
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 %
Results
- Your net take-home: $54,698
- Attorney fee: $31,302
- Case costs deducted: $6,000
- Liens/subrogation deducted: $8,000
- Effective fee rate on gross: 31.3%
What each field means
Inputs
- Gross settlement/verdict ($)
- The gross settlement/verdict used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 100000 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Contingency fee rate (%)
- The contingency fee rate used in the calculation, measured in %. Starts at 33.3 % so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–50 %.
- Case costs (experts, filing, records) ($)
- The case costs (experts, filing, records) used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 6000 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Medical liens / subrogation ($)
- The medical liens / subrogation used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 8000 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Fee calculation method
- Pick the option that matches your situation — the maths changes per option. Choices: Costs deducted before fee %, Fee % on gross, costs after.
Results
- Your net take-home
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars and shown as the headline result. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Attorney fee
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Case costs deducted
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Liens/subrogation deducted
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Effective fee rate on gross
- Returned as a percentage. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
FAQ
Why does the calculation method matter so much?
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.
What are medical liens and why do they reduce my payout?
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.
Is 33% or 40% standard?
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.
Do I owe anything if I lose the case?
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.
Accuracy and 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.
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Cite this calculator
Writing about this topic? Grab a citation — every link helps keep these tools free.
RevenueLab. (2026). Contingency Fee Net Payout Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/contingency-fee-net-payout
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/contingency-fee-net-payout" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Contingency Fee Net Payout Calculator — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>
Source: [Contingency Fee Net Payout Calculator — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/contingency-fee-net-payout) (2026).