Legal Question in Legal Ethics in Washington

Re: contingency contract cancellation

You might wish to check with your State's Bar Association. States can vary regarding contingency contracts. For example, there are some states which do not recognize any contingency contract unless it is in writing and some states even suggest a Statement of Client's Rights be given by the Attorney to each Client so the client has the very answers you are looking for. If there are fees due to the attorney, it is not unusual for an attorney's entitlement under "quantum meruit" which means that the attorney might be entitled to a reasonable fee for the actual work performed. The determination of what is reasonable generally comes through state jurisprudence using a number of factors: time involved, difficulty of legal question, work turned away by the attorney for your case, etc.

Hope that helps.