Morgan and Morgan Review

How much does Morgan & Morgan take from a settlement?

Morgan & Morgan works on contingency. You pay nothing upfront, and the firm’s fee is a percentage of your settlement or verdict that is written into the retainer agreement you sign at the start. If there is no recovery, you owe no attorney fee. The firm does not publish one standard percentage; it says the rate depends on the case, including how complex it is and whether it settles or goes to trial. Third-party sites that quote a fixed Morgan & Morgan rate are repeating the Florida Bar caps below, not a published firm policy.

State rules set the limits. In Florida, where Morgan & Morgan is headquartered, the Bar treats these amounts as reasonable for personal injury cases:

• Settled before the defendant files an answer: 33 1/3% of the first $1 million, 30% of the next $1 million, 20% above $2 million.
• After an answer is filed, through trial: 40% of the first $1 million, 30% of the next $1 million, 20% above $2 million.
• Appeal: an additional 5% may apply.

On a $100,000 settlement, that is $33,333 before an answer or $40,000 after, before costs and liens. Other states have different rules, and some case types have their own limits set by state law. Ask for the exact percentage at each stage in writing.

What comes out of your settlement besides the fee

The attorney fee is only one deduction. Morgan & Morgan explains that case expenses, such as medical records and reports, court filing fees, expert witnesses and consultants, are also paid out of a successful recovery, and that health insurers and other medical liens are repaid from the award. The firm says many firms advance these costs and recover them from the settlement, and that you typically do not repay them if the case is lost; confirm that point in your own contract.

Before you sign, ask: Is the fee calculated on the gross recovery or after costs are subtracted? Which costs will be charged, and is there an estimate? Will any other firm work on my case and share the fee? Florida’s Statement of Client’s Rights says your lawyer should tell you whether the fee is based on the gross or net amount, and that you can bargain over the percentage.

Morgan & Morgan legitimacy and licensing

Yes. Morgan & Morgan is a real and very large firm, founded by John and Ultima Morgan and registered with the BBB as starting in November 1988, with its headquarters in Orlando. It says it has 1,100+ attorneys, offices in all 50 states and Washington, D.C., and $35 billion recovered for more than 700,000 clients. John Morgan is a Florida Bar member in good standing with no discipline in the last 10 years. The firm advertises 150,000+ five-star reviews, which it says are based on select nationwide reviews.

Legitimate is not the same as a good fit. Independent review sites are mixed to poor, and the firm’s size means your case may be handled mainly by case managers, or referred to another firm. Before you sign, ask who your attorney will be and check that lawyer’s record with your state bar.

Morgan & Morgan complaints and record

The BBB gives the Orlando firm a B rating, not accredited, with 361 complaints in three years, and Trustpilot shows 1.4 out of 5 from 204 reviews. SmartCustomer (formerly Sitejabber) is kinder at 3.8 out of 5 from 1,861 reviews, though its complaints follow the same lines: unreturned calls, long gaps without updates, frequent changes of case manager, cases dropped with little explanation and slow payouts.

In February 2025 a federal court in Wyoming sanctioned three Morgan & Morgan lawyers over a motion in Wadsworth v. Walmart that cited eight AI-generated cases that did not exist; two who signed it without drafting it were fined $1,000 each, and the firm itself was not sanctioned because it had already added safeguards. In May 2026 a Massachusetts state judge in Boston refused to let one of those lawyers appear in the Harvard Medical School morgue litigation, citing the Wyoming sanction.

No law firm can promise a result. If your case is stalled, ask in writing for a status update and the name of the attorney responsible, and you can contact your state bar if you believe a lawyer has acted improperly.

Your rights under a contingency fee contract

Florida’s rules give you specific protections when you hire any injury lawyer on contingency, including Morgan & Morgan:

• Written contract and statement of rights. You must receive and sign a Statement of Client’s Rights before signing the fee contract.
• 3-day cancel window. You can cancel in writing within 3 business days of signing and owe no fee, though you may owe actual costs from those days.
• You can negotiate. There is no required percentage, and you can bargain over the rate or talk to other lawyers.
• Referral disclosure. The lawyer must tell you before signing if other lawyers will work on the case, and you should sign a new contract if a firm is added later.
• Closing statement. At the end, you get an itemized statement of every cost and each firm’s fee, signed by you and the lawyers.

If you fire the firm without good cause after the 3-day window, you may owe a fee for work already done. Rules differ in other states, so ask for your state’s version.

When a different lawyer may be the better choice

Morgan & Morgan’s size is an advantage in serious injury cases, product cases and mass torts, where expert costs are high and trials are possible. It matters less for a minor crash with clear fault, where the main work is collecting records and negotiating with one insurer.

Consider interviewing at least two other firms if you want direct contact with the attorney on your case, if your claim is small enough that a 33 1/3% to 40% fee would take a large share, or if a firm refers you elsewhere. Ask each one the same questions: the percentage before and after a lawsuit, how costs are charged, who handles your file, and how often you will get updates.