contingency fee

noun

: a fee for services (as of a lawyer) paid upon successful completion of the services and usually calculated as a percentage of the gain realized for the client

called also contingent fee

Examples of contingency fee in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The firm also proposed to pay its local counsel in Florida out of its contingency fee. Shirsho Dasgupta, Miami Herald, 18 June 2026 The contingency fee system allows attorneys to represent people who can’t afford an hourly rate on the presumption that the attorneys will earn their costs, and a profit, through an eventual settlement. Andrew Graham, Sacbee.com, 18 June 2026 Some firms, including The Law Office of Richard Klein, handle hit-and-run cases on a contingency fee basis, meaning legal fees are typically paid only if compensation is recovered. Ascend Agency, Baltimore Sun, 27 May 2026 Many Florida injury firms work through contingency fee agreements, so clients don’t pay upfront. Maria Williams, USA Today, 17 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for contingency fee

Word History

First Known Use

1905, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of contingency fee was in 1905

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Contingency fee.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/contingency%20fee. Accessed 24 Jun. 2026.

Legal Definition

contingency fee

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