From the book WRECKED
The settlement number is the pot. Your check is what's left after everyone else reaches in. Fill in your numbers and watch your real take-home update as you type — where every dollar goes before it gets to you.
Step 1
The gross number you were told the case settled for.
Step 2
Contingency fees usually climb as a case goes further. Pick the stage your case reached, or enter your own.
Step 3
Filing fees, records, court reporters, depositions, expert witnesses. In a hard-fought case these run large.
Step 4
Anyone paid back from your case. Many liens can be negotiated down — ask your lawyer.
Your estimated take-home check
$0
Enter your settlement above to see your take-home.
| Settlement (the pot) | $0 |
| Lawyer's fee | $0 |
| Case costs | $0 |
| Liens (payback) | $0 |
| Your actual check | $0 |
This is an estimate, not legal or financial advice. It's a teaching tool to show how a settlement gets divided. Your real numbers depend on your written fee agreement, your actual case costs, and your actual liens — and liens can often be negotiated down. Nothing you type is sent anywhere or saved after you close the page; use Save/Print to keep a copy. It does not create an attorney-client relationship. WRECKED — How Not to Get F*cked as a Personal Injury Client