Ruth Smith Law Firm

68 North Market Street
Asheville, NC 28801

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Toll Free 877-4WNCLAW 
(828) 253-2383
(828) 255-8693 Fax

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Attorney's fees are the amount of money that the attorneys, staff and law firm are paid for the legal services they provide.  In most personal injury, worker's compensation and disability cases, attorneys' fees are based on a contingency.  Under this arrangement, attorneys' fees are based on a percentage of the settlement or verdict in the case.  If the case is lost, the firm does not recover a fee.  The contingency fee percentages can vary by the type of case and whether the case is litigated ( a law suit is filed).

If your case is reviewed by the firm and found to have merit, the attorney will inform you of what she believes to be a reasonable contingent fee. She will provide you with a written contract for you to review and the for attorney to explain.  The written contract will set forth the percentage of recovery that you will pay as a fee.

In addition to the contingency legal fee, there are various costs that must be paid to prepare your case.  Examples of these costs are medical records copies, police accident report copies , court reporters services, expert witnesses fee, filing fees, subpoena costs and travel.
It is difficult to estimate the amount of legal costs and expenses.  Clients are required to pay legal costs and expenses.  The Ruth Smith Law Firm is permitted under various ethics rules to advance the necessary costs and expenses on behalf of the client.  However, the costs and expenses will be recovered by the Ruth Smith Law Firm out of your share of any successful recovery of money in the case.

At the Ruth Smith Law Firm, you will know that an experienced trial lawyer, with over ten years working exclusively for injured and disabled persons, will be handling your case.  Unlike other firms, your case will not be given to a young associate with little or no experience.

How long will it take to finish my case?

The Ruth Smith Law Firm will work hard to develop your case as fully as possible in the timeliest way.  Unfortunately, many corporations accused of wrongdoing and negligence attempt to delay the conclusion of the case. Since the law firm does not get paid until there is a successful resolution of your case, the lawyer will be aggressive in pushing for a timely outcome.
Other factors that can delay or speed up your case include the court calendar, lawyer, and expert witness schedules.

Will I have to go to court?

Cases are settled at various points of the legal process.  Some are settled early on, some after factual discovery, some during trial and still others during an appeals process.  You should know that the Ruth Smith Law Firm always deals from strength.  She fully and aggressively prepares every case to go to trial.  She will gather the facts during an investigation, hire experts, research all legal aspects, and obtain needed discovery.  This is done so that she can vigorously advocate for you in court.  As an experienced lawyer, she does not just take cases and wait for settlements.  It is her belief, grounded in experience, that if every case is prepared as if it were going to trial, the case is more likely to settle for a fair amount.

Will Ruth Smith take my case?

Consultations are free at the Ruth Smith Law Firm.  During this consultation when you talk to a qualified lawyer, Ruth Smith will determine if you have a meritorious claim for monetary damages.