I love writing referral fee checks to other lawyers.
We pay a co-counsel fee to attorneys that refer us a case. Our office is located in Miami, and we represent accident victims who were hurt anywhere in Florida, or on a cruise ship.
This includes car accidents, truck accidents, motorcycle accidents, pedestrian accidents, slip and falls, dog bites, and much more.
We have represented hundreds of badly injured accident victims and have had many Florida personal injury settlements. Check out some of the many Florida personal injury cases that we handle.
Florida law allows us to pay the referring attorney 25% of the gross (total) attorney’s fees. It is allowed so long as certain requirements are met. (I’ll discuss those further below.)
During the past 19 years, I’ve settled cases for people who were injured in many cities in Florida.
This includes, but isn’t limited to, the Florida Keys, Miami, Miami Beach, Hialeah, Kendall, Fort Lauderdale, Homestead, all the way up to Pensacola, North Florida, Tampa, Jacksonville, Orlando and much more.
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I’ll Sue Anywhere in Florida
We’re willing to sue anywhere in Florida if the case warrants it. We have filed lawsuits for personal injury and/or negligence in the following counties:
- Miami-Dade
- Broward
- Lee
- Osceola
- Pinellas
I currently only represent injured accident victims. Before becoming a 100% plaintiff’s personal injury attorney, I worked for an insurance defense law firm. During that time, he defended personal injury claims in Dade, Broward and Palm Beach County, and the Keys. I got to see how insurance companies value cases.
We have sued in Federal court as well as Florida state courts. In 2004, Attorney Justin Ziegler argued before the 3rd District Court of Appeals in Miami-Dade County, Florida.
In select cases, we are willing to ask the court to grant a larger fee if appropriate. We have been privileged to have received numerous personal injury case referrals from other attorneys.
Referring Attorneys Are On Our Fee Contract
Rules Regulating the Florida Bar 4-1.5(f)(2) requires that all referral fees in contingency fee cases have the consent of the client in writing and that:
each participating lawyer or law firm shall sign the contract with the client and shall agree to assume joint legal responsibility to the client for the performance of the services in question as if each were partners of the other lawyer or law firm involved.
You will sign our contract. We simply won’t have you sign a separate co-counsel agreement, and leave you in the dark as to what our contract says.
This way, you can be sure that our fee contract does not violate the Florida bar rules.
Here is what you don’t want to happen. You send a big personal injury case to an attorney. You are expecting (or hoping for a big pay day).
As some point during the representation, the client complains to the Florida bar.
When the bar looks at the fee contract, it has language that renders it void. Now you are out on your big fee.
With us, you will get a copy of the contract. If you refer us a case, our contract states that:
Each of us shall agree to assume joint legal responsibility to the client for the performance of the services in question.
We List Referring Attorneys on the Closing Statement
In fact, the Florida Bar Statement of Client Rights for Contingency Fees (Paragraph 8) requires it. The client has the right to receive and approve a closing statement at the end of the case before he or she pays any money.
The statement lists all of the financial details of the entire case, including the amount recovered, all expenses, and a precise statement of the lawyers’ fee. Thus, our referral fee will be on the closing statement.
Until the client approves the closing statement, we cannot pay any money to anyone, including the client, without an appropriate order of the court. Paragraph 8 also says that the client:
also have the right to have every lawyer or law firm working on your case sign this closing statement.
Thus, referring attorneys need to sign the closing statement.
We’ll Copy You On Every Email, Fax and Letter Sent and Received (If You Wish)
It is very easy for us to copy you on all emails, faxes and letters that we send and receive. Most records are now eletronic. Thus, we can copy you on all documents.
At the end of the claim, we are happy to share the electronic file with you. We won’t tell you that you can’t see it.
It’s a terrible feeling to ask your co-counsel for a copy of the file and they won’t give it to you. I have no secrets.
It is my pleasure to send you a copy of the client’s electronic file.
Do We Also Pay Referral Fees to Out of State Lawyers?
Yes, if the client was hurt in Florida, and the client lives in the state where you (the referring lawyer) is licensed.
In this instance, I am able to pay a referral fee.
Also, if I sue in the case and you appear Pro-Hac Vice (a one time appearance), I can ethically pay a referral fee. This is true even if the client does not live in the state where you’re licensed.
However, in most cases, I try to resolve the case before a lawsuit before suing. In other words, I don’t sue just so I can ethically pay an out of state lawyer a referral fee.
I follow the bar rules to a T.
Can I Pay Money to Someone Who Isn’t a Lawyer Who Refers us A Case?
No. It is against the law.
We want to co-counsel a Florida accident case with you!
Our Miami law firm represents people injured anywhere in Florida in car accidents, truck accidents, slip, trip and falls, motorcycle accidents, bike accidents, drunk driving crashes, pedestrian accidents, cruise ship or boat accidents and many other types of accidents.
We want to co-counsel a case if your client or prospective client was injured in an accident in Florida, on a cruise ship or boat. If your client lives in Florida but was injured in the state where you are licensed to practice, we also may be able to co-counsel the case with you.
See Our Settlements
Check out some of the many Florida personal injury cases that we have settled, including but not limited to car accidents, truck accidents, slip or trip and falls, motorcycle accidents, pedestrian accidents, drunk driving accidents, cruise ship accidents and much more.
Call Us Now!
Call us now at (305) 661-9977 to find out if we can co-counsel a case with you.
No Fees or Costs if We Do Not Get Our Client Money
There are No Fees or Costs Unless We Recover Money. Call us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. We also speak Spanish. We invite you to learn more about us.