Recent Feedback
My relative has a traffic accidents with serveral friends in the same car. I am a highway engineer. They want to hire me to form a group of highway engineers and lawyers. I am not an attorney. But I am a registered professional engineer. Can I take a lead role to form the group? They want to pay the group by a portion of the compensation if we win. As an engineer, can I sign such an contract? I works as an employee. I don't have my own firm. Another way is let a law firm to sign the contract. I work for the law firm. I want get paid by a percentage of the compensation instead of by hours. Is that legal?
Optional Information: Country relating to Question: United StatesState (if USA): CaliforniaZip Code (if USA): 92374What have you tried so far?: I am planing.
Hello. My name is XXXXX XXXXX X will be happy to answer your question.Unfortunately, you would not be able to legally represent someone in an Accident case unless you are a licensed attorney in the state where accident took place and you could not be compensate by a percentage of any potential compensation award or settlement amount and can only be compensated by either hourly consulting fee or by a fixed fee for your consulting work in this case.I wish you the best of luck and please let me know if you have any related follow up questions.
Thank you for your answer. My relative and friends are willing to give me the fully authrization to lead such a joint group of engineers and lawyers. They are more willing to give a percentage.
If I let a law firm to take the attonery, I signed a contract with the firm to provide consulting service. Or the law firm hire me. I want to my work to be paid by a portion of the potential settlement. It is like a saleman. Genelly, the saleman is paid by a percentage of sale he made. Is that reasonable? Thanks.
Dear XXXXX,Thank you for your follow up.It is not up to your relatives / clients as to whether pay you a percentage of the compensation, but it would be illegal for any attorney in California to share their legal fees with a non-attorney and that is why this attorney will only be able to pay you hourly fee or a reasonable fixed fee for your consulting services.Unfortunately, there are no exceptions to this rule and no way around it.I wish you the best of luck!
Experience: Experienced Licensed Attorney