Is a Florida Law Firm That is Discharged Prior to the Case Being Resolved Still Entitled to Attorneys Fees?

What does it mean to hire a law firm on a contingency?  If you hire a law firm on a contingency basis, you are agreeing to pay the law firm their attorneys fees when the case is resolved, instead of hourly while the case is being litigated. Trust and estates lawyers know that contingency fee agreements are entered into very frequently. However, what happens if you hire a law firm on a contingency basis, decide to discharge that law firm halfway through the case, and then hire a new law firm. Now, there are two law firms that have done work on your case but have not yet been paid. Is the first law firm that you discharged prior to the case being resolved still entitled to attorneys fees? You should read a recent Fourth DCA opinion, Corominas v. Ajay Development Group LLC.Although this is not a Florida probate opinion, Florida probate lawyers frequently encounter similar attorney fee disputes. Here, a law firm that was discharged from the case before the case was resolved was awarded quantum meruit fees. In most circumstances, a law firm will be awarded reasonable attorneys fees for the services that they rendered, even if they are discharged before the case is resolved.  To read more about attorneys fees in Florida, click here. To interview an experienced trust and estates litigation lawyer, free of charge, call (561)514-0900 ext.101.