Does Dallas W. Hartman P.C. Charge for a Consultation or Upfront Legal Fees?

Updated

Dallas W. Hartman P.C. advertises free consultations and states that clients pay "no fees unless we win." Based on the firm's website, there is no upfront legal fee described for personal injury matters. The site does not publish specific contingency percentages or fee terms, so those details should be confirmed directly with the firm before you sign anything.

What the Website Says

The firm's homepage makes two related promises:

  • Free consultation — the site invites prospective clients to "Call Today For Your Free Consultation."
  • No fees unless we win — the firm describes handling cases "with no fees unless we win," framing this as part of its commitment to injured victims.

These statements appear in the context of personal injury representation, which is the firm's stated focus.

How the Contingency Arrangement Works

A "no fees unless we win" arrangement is a contingency fee model. In general terms:

  1. You do not pay an hourly rate or a retainer to hire the firm for a personal injury case.
  2. The firm's fee is paid out of the compensation recovered in your case, typically as a percentage of the recovery.
  3. If the case produces no recovery, the firm states it does not collect its fee.

The website does not state the percentage the firm charges, how costs (such as filing fees or expert expenses) are handled, or whether the terms differ by case type. Those are the details to ask about in the free consultation.

What to Confirm Before Hiring

Because the site does not publish fee percentages or cost-advancement terms, ask the firm directly:

  • What percentage is taken from a settlement versus a verdict obtained at trial?
  • Are case costs (court filing fees, depositions, expert witnesses) advanced by the firm, and are they repaid from the recovery?
  • Does the "no fees unless we win" promise apply to every case type listed — car and truck accidents, medical malpractice, premises liability, wrongful death, and workers' comp?
  • Are there any situations where a fee could be owed even without a recovery?

Workers' compensation is worth a specific question: those claims often follow different fee rules than personal injury lawsuits, and the website's general "no fees unless we win" statement does not break out how workers' comp fees are handled.

The Bottom Line

If you are considering the firm for a personal injury matter, the advertised terms mean you can have an initial conversation at no cost and are not asked to pay legal fees up front. The exact percentage and cost terms are not on the website, so treat the free consultation as the point to get them in writing.