Car accident lawyers are typically paid on a contingency fee basis. This means that the attorney does not get paid unless and until he or she recovers compensation for the client. In contingency fee arrangements, the attorney or law firm will also typically advance expenses for the case, such as expert witnesses or court filing fees. If the attorney recovers compensation for the client, his or her fee (usually calculated as a percentage of the total recovery) and any case expenses the attorney has paid for are deducted from the recovery, with the balance turned over to the client.