Everyone estimates the big number. This shows the one that matters — what you actually keep after attorney fees, case costs, and medical liens — with every deduction printed.
Reviewed August 24, 2026 · methodology · changelogEducational estimate, not legal or financial advice — fees, costs, and lien reductions are all negotiable and vary by case.
Settlement calculators everywhere estimate the gross number. Almost nobody shows the part that matters: what's left after everyone else is paid. The order of operations is standard:
First: is the fee calculated before or after costs are deducted? Second: will you negotiate my liens, and does your fee apply to the amount you save me? Good answers to those two questions are routinely worth thousands of dollars of net recovery.
With a typical 33⅓% contingency fee, roughly $16,700 before costs and liens. Subtract case costs (often $500–$2,000 pre-suit) and any medical liens, and a common real-world net is $12,000–$15,500. Run your exact numbers above — the math is printed line by line.
At the standard 33⅓% fee, about $20,000 before costs and liens; a realistic net after typical costs ($500–$2,000) and modest liens is $14,500–$18,500. With no attorney you keep the full $30,000 minus liens — the trade is whether representation would have made the gross bigger than the fee. Run both scenarios above.
At 33⅓%: roughly $33,300 net of fee on $50,000 and $50,000 on $75,000, before costs and liens. Larger settlements usually carry larger liens (more treatment happened), so the percentage you keep often stays in the 55–65% zone. The calculator above prints your exact stack line by line.
Almost all work on contingency: no fee unless you recover. The standard is 33⅓% if the case settles before a lawsuit is filed, rising to 40% after filing. Some agreements use 25% for early policy-limit settlements. The percentage is negotiable — ask before you sign.
If a hospital, health insurer, Medicare, or Medicaid paid for your treatment, they may have a legal right to be repaid from your settlement. Liens are often negotiable — attorneys routinely get them reduced, which raises your net.
Yes. Filing fees, medical-records fees, expert witnesses, and depositions are expenses, billed on top of the percentage fee. Check whether your agreement deducts costs before or after the fee is calculated — it changes your net.