Q: I hired a lawyer on contingency, to recover my judgment. He has done nothing.
I want to have JudgmentBuy find me a go-getter lawyer or enforcer to recover my judgment. But my lawyer says he won’t release my judgment until I pay them (a lot) for the time spent on my judgment – even though they did not recover any of my money, can you help?

A: No, we are not lawyers and have no control over any retainer agreements you have signed. Most likely your lawyer is being fair, and the retainer agreement you signed with your lawyer almost certainly explains that the lawyer is owed for at least some of their work (quantum meruit) if you want your judgment back.

(See our Contingency Attorneys article.) It is important to carefully consider hiring a contingency collections lawyer. JudgmentBuy can refer you the best ones. Most often when a lawyer or a judgment enforcer does not make progress on your judgment, it is because the judgment debtor has no assets to take.

If you think your lawyer is not being fair, ask them about it, and try to work it out. If you want to get a second opinion, contact your local state bar, or another lawyer for an opinion about the first lawyer’s policy. Most of the time, it is a case of not reading the retainer agreement carefully enough. (See our Finding The Right Lawyer article, and our National Lawyer State Bar List.)