In New York State, is a retainer required for a personal injury case? Thank you.

If you retain an attorney, they must have you sign a retainer which must be filed.

Yes. has a terrific "find a lawyer" tool to locate a top-rated attorney (10) with a reasonable contingency fee, less than thirty percent, so you don't get hurt twice. Good luck.

As stated below, retainers are required, and they must be filied within 30 days.

Yes, a written retainer is required and maximum fees are set by law in NY. The lawful and customary fee for a regular personal injury case is 1/3 of the recovery and a lawyer does not hurt a client in any way by charging that. Medical malpractice fees are set at a lower percentage by law. Many other states permit lawyers to charge 40% or even more. In my opinion the quality of the lawyer and the nature of the service should be more important to the client than the percentage fee. I do not think that a blanket criticism of lawyers who charge lawful and customary fees is fair to the lawyers or to potential clients, who may be led to believe that lawyers who charge such fees are taking advantage of them.

I assume you reside in Suffolk County which is located in the Second Department. I have attached a link to the court rule regarding retainer agreement and closing statements of the Second Department.

Yes, and there has been a recent change in the law which could affect your "net" recovery after attorneys' fees so you should speak with a qualified personal injury attorney about your options.

It is required, but then the question is: what if it isn't done? If the retainer is not written, that could compromise the attorney's ability to claim fees.

Yes, a Retainer must be in writing; It must detail the terms, including the contingency fee percentage and how this fee is calculated. Generally, the attorney is entitled to be reimbursed for his/her expenses, then the net amount is subject to a 1/3rd fee. However, a recent Order of the Appellate Division, 2nd Department, permits lawyers to take the 1/3rd from the gross amount and THEN take their disbursements (permitted that they agree that expert witness fees will be paid by lawyer and he/she will be reimbursed at conclusion of case). The lawyer must file a Retainer Statement with the Office of Court Administration. This must be done within 30 days of the retainer.