Calculate the client's net share from a legal settlement after deducting attorney fees, case costs, and liens. See a full breakdown.
When a case settles, the gross recovery is not the same thing as the client payout. Attorney fees, advanced case costs, medical or government liens, and sometimes pre-judgment interest all change the final distribution.
This calculator breaks the settlement into those components so the client net is visible before the agreement is signed or the release is finalized. It is useful for reviewing a settlement statement, testing different fee structures, or seeing how liens and costs change the amount the client actually receives.
Settlement statements can be hard to evaluate when attorney fees, reimbursable costs, and liens are all mixed into one payout figure. This page separates each deduction so you can compare fee structures, test lien-reduction scenarios, and see the client share before accepting a settlement.
Attorney Fees = Settlement × Fee Percentage Client Net = Settlement − Attorney Fees − Case Costs − Liens
Result: $46,670.00 client net
Attorney fee = $100,000 × 33.33% = $33,330. Subtract $8,000 case costs and $12,000 liens: $100,000 − $33,330 − $8,000 − $12,000 = $46,670 to the client.
Every settlement should come with a detailed settlement statement showing the gross amount, attorney fees, case costs, liens, and the net to the client. Review this document carefully and ask questions about any line item you do not understand.
Medical liens and health insurance subrogation claims can sometimes be negotiated down. Your attorney may be able to reduce liens by 30–50%, significantly increasing your net settlement. Government liens (Medicaid, Medicare) have specific reduction formulas.
If costs are deducted first: Attorney fee = (Settlement − Costs) × Rate. If the fee is on the gross: Attorney fee = Settlement × Rate. For a $100,000 settlement with $10,000 costs and 33% fee, the difference is $3,300.
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This page starts with the gross settlement, optionally adds pre-judgment interest, then subtracts attorney fees, case costs, and liens to estimate the client net. Depending on the selected fee structure, the attorney portion is calculated as a flat fee, a contingency percentage, or a simple tiered contingency model for comparison.
The page is designed to make settlement statements easier to review, not to decide what deductions are legally valid in a particular case. Liens, reimbursement rights, court approval rules, tax treatment, and fee-ordering rules vary by jurisdiction and by the settlement documents themselves.
Contingency fees typically range from 25% to 40%. Pre-litigation settlements are usually at the lower end (25–33.33%), while cases that go to trial are at the higher end (33.33–40%).
Case costs include filing fees, deposition costs, expert witness fees, medical record costs, investigator fees, and other out-of-pocket expenses the attorney advanced during the case. These are separate from the attorney fee.
Medical liens are claims by healthcare providers or health insurers for the cost of treatment related to the injury. They must be paid or negotiated from the settlement before the client receives their share.
This varies by agreement. Some attorneys deduct costs first, then take their percentage of the remainder. Others take their percentage of the gross, then deduct costs. The first method is better for the client.
Physical injury settlements are generally tax-free under IRS rules. Emotional distress, punitive damages, and employment settlements may be taxable. Consult a tax professional for your specific situation.
Yes. Contingency fee percentages are negotiable, especially for larger cases or cases that settle quickly. Some states also cap contingency fees, particularly in medical malpractice cases.