Free tool · Fee caps
Attorney fee cap calculator
Type an award, pick a federal program or a state rule, and see the most a lawyer may charge, step by step with the statute. Free. Not legal advice.
What this does, and what it doesn’t
Pick a federal program or a state rule and type an amount. The calculator applies that rule’s formula and shows the most a lawyer may charge, step by step, with the citation. It does not tell you what a lawyer will charge or whether a fee is fair; it shows the ceiling the rule sets. The rules come from our study of attorney fee caps by state, read from primary sources.
Choose a rule and type an amount.
With JavaScript off, the calculator cannot run. Every rule, with its formula and source, is in the tables of the fee caps study.
Three worked examples
- Social Security, fee agreement (work before the agency), $60,000. 25% of the part above $0 = $15,000 ; the $9,200 limit is lower, so it applies . The most allowed: $9,200 (42 U.S.C. 406(a)(2)(A); 1383(d)(2)(A); 89 FR 40523; 90 FR 19241).
- Federal Tort Claims Act, settlement with the agency, $100,000. 20% of the part above $0 = $20,000 . The most allowed: $20,000 (28 U.S.C. 2678).
- New York, medical malpractice, $1,500,000. 30% of $0 to $250,000 = $75,000; 25% of $250,000 to $500,000 = $62,500; 20% of $500,000 to $1,000,000 = $100,000; 15% of $1,000,000 to $1,250,000 = $37,500; 10% of the part above $1,250,000 = $25,000 . The most allowed: $300,000 (N.Y. Judiciary Law 474-a).
The federal limits in one line each
- Social Security fee agreement: the lesser of 25% of past-due benefits or the dollar limit the agency sets (42 U.S.C. 406(a)(2)(A)). That limit stays at $9,200 under the agency’s 2025 notice.
- Social Security work in federal court: a reasonable fee of no more than 25% of past-due benefits (42 U.S.C. 406(b)(1)(A)).
- FTCA: no more than 20% of an administrative settlement with the agency, and no more than 25% of a judgment or of a settlement after suit is filed (28 U.S.C. 2678).
- VA, when VA pays the lawyer from past-due benefits: no more than 20% of those benefits (38 U.S.C. 5904(d)(1)). Under other agreements, up to 20% is presumed reasonable and over 33⅓% is presumed unreasonable (38 U.S.C. 5904(a)(5); 38 CFR 14.636(f)(1)).
How was this built?
What it covers. The rules in our study that set a percent, a dollar limit or a sliding scale: 56 of 79 rules. The rest show their text.
Method. A sliding scale is applied band by band, like a tax bracket: each percent counts only on the part of the amount inside its band. Where the rule also sets a dollar limit, the lower figure applies. The same formulas are tested against worked examples taken from the statutes.
Limits. The calculator cannot see the details of your case: which benefits count, which costs come off first, or the exceptions. A cap is a ceiling, not a rate.
Related
Questions people ask
Is this the fee I will be charged?
No. It is the most the rule you picked lets a lawyer charge. A lawyer may charge less, and in many programs an agency or a judge reviews the fee before it is paid.
What does “presumption” mean?
A fee at or under that level is treated as reasonable, but a higher fee can still be approved if the lawyer shows why. A hard cap, by contrast, cannot be exceeded.
Why do some rules give no figure?
Because the law sets no percent or dollar limit. It says a board or a judge approves the fee, or only that the fee must be reasonable. For those rules the calculator shows the rule text instead.
Is what I type stored?
No. The math runs in your browser and nothing is sent or saved.
Sources
- 42 U.S.C. 406, representation of claimants (U.S. Code, govinfo.gov)Accessed October 28, 2026
- Social Security Administration, Maximum Dollar Limit in the Fee Agreement Process; Partial Rescission, 90 FR 19241 (2025)Accessed October 28, 2026
- 28 U.S.C. 2678, attorney fees under the Federal Tort Claims Act (U.S. Code, govinfo.gov)Accessed October 28, 2026
- 38 U.S.C. 5904, recognition of agents and attorneys (U.S. Code, govinfo.gov)Accessed October 28, 2026
- 38 CFR 14.636, payment of fees for representation (eCFR)Accessed October 28, 2026
- Exhibit No. 2: attorney fee caps by state and federal program (Probative)Accessed October 28, 2026
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