How Does Steinger, Greene & Feiner's Contingency Fee Model Work?
Updated
Steinger, Greene & Feiner handles personal injury cases on a contingency basis: you pay no upfront costs, and the firm states that legal fees are only owed if you win. That model is designed for people who cannot fund a lawsuit out of pocket after a car accident, workplace injury, slip and fall, defective product injury, drug injury, or property damage claim. The trade-off is that fees are deducted from your final recovery, so the amount you keep is less than the gross settlement or award.
What "No Upfront Costs" Means in Practice
The firm's own description is explicit: "No Upfront Costs. You Only Pay If We Win." It adds that there are "no hidden fees, no financial risk."
For a client, that translates into a few concrete expectations:
- No retainer at intake. You are not asked to pay a deposit to open a case.
- Case costs are advanced by the firm. Filing fees, records requests, expert reviews, and similar expenses are typically fronted rather than billed to you month by month.
- Payment is contingent on outcome. If the case produces no recovery, the stated model means no legal fee is owed.
The exact treatment of advanced costs — whether they are reimbursed before or after the fee is calculated — is set by the signed agreement, not by the website. Read that section before signing.
How the Fee Is Actually Calculated
The page does not publish a percentage, so no specific rate should be assumed. What the page does establish is the mechanism: the fee comes out of the money recovered, not out of your pocket beforehand.
A typical contingency structure works like this:
| Step | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1. Recovery | Insurer pays a settlement, or a court awards damages |
| 2. Cost reimbursement | Advanced case expenses may be repaid from the recovery |
| 3. Fee | The agreed percentage is applied per the contract |
| 4. Disbursement | The remaining balance goes to the client |
Because the percentage and the order of deductions vary by agreement and by case type, ask for the fee schedule in writing during the free consultation.
Which Cases Fit This Model
The firm lists the case types it accepts in its consultation form, which is a useful signal of where contingency representation applies:
- Auto accidents
- Workers' compensation
- Slip and fall
- Defective products
- Drug injuries
- House and property damage
- Other injury matters
Contingency works best when there is a identifiable at-fault party and a plausible source of recovery, such as an insurer or an employer's carrier. It fits poorly when the dispute is purely about a bill or a contract with no injury element.
The Free Consultation Is the Decision Point
The firm offers a free case evaluation, described as "Easy. Quick. Confidential," and states that its lawyers are available 24/7 by phone, live chat, or virtual consultation. Use that conversation to get answers to four questions:
- What percentage is the fee, and does it change if the case goes to trial?
- Are advanced costs repaid before or after the fee is taken?
- Who pays for experts if the case requires them?
- What happens if I want to leave the representation?
If the answers are not put in writing, the "no risk" framing is incomplete.
What the Firm Brings to the Table
Two claims on the page are worth weighing when comparing firms:
- Track record: over $2 billion recovered for clients, with experience dating to 1997.
- Scope: service across Florida, Tennessee, and Texas, with virtual or in-person handling.
These are the firm's own figures and should be treated as marketing claims rather than independently verified results. They are still relevant context for judging whether the firm has handled cases like yours at scale.
Bottom Line
The contingency model at Steinger, Greene & Feiner removes the upfront financial barrier to hiring a lawyer: no retainer, no hourly billing, and fees tied to winning. The cost is a share of your recovery, at a rate the website does not disclose. The free consultation exists precisely so you can pin down that rate, the cost-repayment order, and the exit terms before committing.