Two lawyers can quote the same contingency percentage and hand you checks that differ by thousands, because the number they multiply is not the same number.
Contingency fees sound standard until you read what the percentage is multiplied by. Gross or net, costs before or after, and how the rule changes by state.
A summary statement, an itemized statement and an explanation of benefits are not versions of the same page. Here is what each one can prove, and which to request first.
Small jobs carry almost the same fixed costs as big ones. Here is how hourly, minimum-plus-hourly, and flat-rate pricing each handle that, and which one holds up.
Licensing quietly settles who can treat you, who pays, and where a complaint goes. Here is how to tell the license from the certificate before the first appointment.
Most families use all four and rarely decide the proportions on purpose. The order they are drawn on changes the total cost of the degree considerably.