How does the legal fee works under Washington State Lemon Law?
Buying a new car is an exciting event. But the excitement is short-lived when the car we purchase ends up being a lemon.
Thankfully, consumer protection laws like lemon law come to our aid. In fact, almost every factor of the lemon law looks out for the best interest of consumers. And when one has a lawyer by his/her side, the lemon case becomes even stronger for the consumer.
However, when it comes to legal cases, many people back out due to the legal fees accrued throughout the process. And since cases under State Lemon Law in Washington can last for months, the stress of the fees increases too.
How is lemon law different from other legal affairs?
When it comes to the American law system, every party is required to pay their own legal fees. But in some cases, the attorney doesn’t charge any fees upfront. And such cases are termed as “on contingency.”
As per “on contingency,” it means that the lawyer is ready to take the case without any guarantee of fees in exchange. It also means that the fee is payable only if the case is a success.
So, what is a fee-shifting provision?
In some cases, the defendant is required to pay the fees. And such cases are termed as “fee-shifting provisions.”
State Lemon Law in Washington and the federal Magnusson-Moss Warranty act have fee-shifting provisions.
And as per the fee-shifting provision, it becomes possible for the attorney to take your case on contingency but with a few favorable terms. That means, instead of asking you for the legal, the lawyer who took your case on a fee-shifting provision will request for a qualified claim to gain a different right to the payment of lemon law lawyer’s fees.
Even when the lemon law offers full protection for the consumers, there are various law firms that request for some portion of the claimant’s recovery. This means you will be required to pay some amount from your “buyback recovery” to the attorney.
So, it wise to be extra careful of such claims made by the attorney. Likewise, a reliable attorney will never talk about any hyped promises unless he/she goes through your case thoroughly.
At the first meeting, your lemon law attorney must only ensure of assessing your case accurately. He/she must also find ways to get rid of your defective car and offer you suggestions on how to claim the compensation at the earliest.
Bottom line
Lemon laws can be complicated. But when you have proper knowledge of the process and various aspects, then it can become easier to comprehend it. And we are sure that our article was able to give an insight into the aspect of legal fee as per Washington State Lemon Law.
Andrew Richardson is the author of this Article. To know more about Lemon Law Attorney in Idaho please visit our website: allenstewart.com
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