{"id":1619,"date":"2026-10-23T07:50:35","date_gmt":"2026-10-23T07:50:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/34-138-224-95.nip.io\/car-accident-lawyer\/car-accident-lawyer-how-car-accident-lawyers-are-paid-california\/"},"modified":"2026-10-24T08:13:30","modified_gmt":"2026-10-24T08:13:30","slug":"car-accident-lawyer-how-car-accident-lawyers-are-paid-california","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/colvinaccidentlawyers.com\/resources\/car-accident-lawyer\/car-accident-lawyer-how-car-accident-lawyers-are-paid-california\/","title":{"rendered":"Bakersfield Car Accident Lawyer Fees and Case Costs"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Bakersfield Car Accident Lawyer | Kern County<\/p>

Understand Fees and Case Costs Before You Decide<\/h1>

Colvin Accident Lawyers offers a free first consultation that is confidential and comes with no obligation to continue. Get clear answers about fees and case costs in plain language.<\/p>

Request Your Free Consultation<\/a><\/div>
Request Your Free Consultation<\/a><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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What to Know About Fees at Colvin Accident Lawyers<\/h2>\n

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Free first consultation<\/h3>

Your first consultation is free, confidential, and comes with no obligation to continue. Use it to ask questions before you make any decision.<\/p><\/div>

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A written fee agreement<\/h3>

Your fee agreement explains how fees are calculated and lists any amount due at the start. Read it carefully before you sign.<\/p><\/div>

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Costs advanced by the firm<\/h3>

Ask whether you will owe costs advanced by the firm if there is no recovery. Your agreement should answer that question directly.<\/p><\/div>

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Plain-language answers<\/h3>

Bring your questions to the consultation. Our team will explain the fee terms and how case costs are handled in your matter.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n

By Donald Norman Colvin \u00b7 Published October 23, 2026<\/p>\n\n

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Many car accident lawyer<\/a>s in Bakersfield handle injury cases on a contingent-fee basis, and you may still be responsible for case costs if there is no recovery. This page explains how that works, which case costs you may see, and what to ask before you sign anything.<\/p>\n

How Contingency Fees Work in a California Car Accident Case<\/h2>\n

A contingency fee is paid from your recovery, not billed by the hour. Your recovery is the money you receive through a settlement with the insurer or a court judgment. This setup helps people who cannot pay hourly rates while they heal and miss work. Contingency fees are common in injury cases because the lawyer’s pay depends on whether there is a recovery.<\/p>\n

California requires these terms in writing. Under Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code \u00a7 6147<\/a>, an attorney who contracts to represent a client on a contingency fee basis must, at the time the contract is entered into, provide a duplicate copy of the contract, signed by both the attorney and the client, to the plaintiff or to the client’s guardian or representative, and the contract must be in writing. Ask the lawyer to explain each term in plain words. If a term still confuses you, ask again before you sign.<\/p>\n\n

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If medical bills and lost paychecks are piling up after a Kern County crash, you don't have to sort out the fee question alone, so reach out to Colvin Accident Lawyers for a free, confidential first consultation. Talk it through with our team — the first consultation is free, confidential, and carries no obligation.<\/p>

Get a free consultation<\/a><\/div>
Get a free consultation<\/a><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Your Free, Confidential First Consultation<\/h2>\n

The fee percentage is written into your fee agreement, and you should see it before you sign. Ask about fees and costs during your free, confidential first consultation with Colvin Accident Lawyers, which carries no obligation to continue. Under Cal. Code Civ. Proc. \u00a7 1021<\/a>, the measure of attorney pay is left to the agreement between you and the lawyer, unless a statute sets fees.<\/p>\n

Under \u00a7 6147<\/a>, unless the claim is subject to the provisions of Section 6146, the agreement must say the fee is not set by law but is negotiable. That rule applies unless the claim falls under a separate rule in that section.<\/p>\n

Ask how the percentage applies if your case settles before a lawsuit is filed. Then ask how it applies if the case goes to court. Get both answers in writing. The State Bar’s fee guidance<\/a> covers written fee agreements, contingency percentages, and costs.<\/p>\n

Case Costs the Firm Advances and Who Pays Them<\/h2>\n

Case costs are the expenses needed to build and present your claim. Common examples include:<\/p>\n