In some types of cases attorneys are willing to handle matters on a "contingency basis". In such a case you do not pay legal fees unless and until you win, and then the lawyer receives a percentage of your recovery as his or her fee. If you lose your case, there would be no legal fee at all for the lawyer.

A contingency fee arrangement is a method that allows many individuals who have been injured or seeking damages, such as those resulting from an auto accident or a medical malpractice case, to obtain legal representation even if they do not have money to pay a lawyer at the outset of a case.

As a general rule, accident and personal injury litigation is frequently handled on a contingency basis, commercial disputes rarely are, and criminal matters almost never are.