Running a contingency fee practice means you carry the financial weight of every case you take on.
Depositions. Expert witnesses. Medical record retrieval. Months of staff salaries while a case inches toward settlement. The costs are real and they hit your operating account long before any fee ever comes in.
ECO Pre-Settlement Funding provides attorney funding to contingency fee law firms across the country. We advance capital against your pending cases so your firm can keep moving without waiting for settlements to close. You repay only from case proceeds if the matter resolves successfully. If it does not, you owe us nothing.
We have been working with law firms on this since 2010. Call 800-961-8924 to talk through what your firm needs.
What Attorney Funding Actually Is
Attorney funding is a cash advance against your expected fees from pending cases.
It is not a traditional business loan. Your firm makes no monthly payments. You sign no personal guarantees. We advance capital, and we get repaid from case proceeds when the matter closes. If the case does not produce a recovery, we absorb the loss.
This is different from plaintiff funding, which goes directly to injured clients. This money goes to your firm. It is also different from a law firm line of credit, which demands monthly payments regardless of what your docket is doing.
Approval comes down to the strength of your cases, not your firm’s credit score. Our underwriters look at case details, settlement demand, liability, and expected timeline. Strong cases from firms with no credit history qualify the same way strong cases from established practices do.
Why Firms Use This
Contingency practice has a cash flow problem that most business financing was never designed to solve.
Cases take months or years to close. During that entire stretch, your firm pays for everything upfront. Depositions. Expert reports. Court filing fees. Staff. Rent. All of it goes out the door well before a single fee comes in.
Attorney funding closes that gap. Your firm gets capital now instead of waiting. Here is what that makes possible in practice:
- Taking on cases you would otherwise have to turn down due to upfront costs
- Hiring the expert witnesses that actually move case value
- Keeping operations running during long settlement delays
- Negotiating from a position of patience instead of financial pressure
- Investing in marketing and intake while existing cases are still pending
That last point is worth sitting with. A lot of firms settle cases earlier than they should because the financial pressure gets to be too much. When your operating expenses are covered, you can wait for the offer your case actually deserves. That patience usually pays off in higher recoveries that more than offset the cost of funding.
How the Process Works
Most firms go from application to funded capital in about a week.
Step 1: Apply Call 800-961-8924 or fill out our online application. Basic information about your firm and the cases you want to fund. Nothing complicated.
Step 2: Case review Our team reviews case summaries, fee agreements, demand letters, and supporting documentation. We look at liability, damages, and expected settlement value. This typically takes 2 to 3 business days.
Step 3: Funding offer If your cases qualify, we put together a funding offer with the advance amount, repayment terms, and cost structure. You review it with no obligation to move forward.
Step 4: Funds hit your account Once the agreement is signed, we wire funds to your firm’s operating account. Most transfers complete within 24 to 48 hours. Use the capital however your firm needs it.
We do not ask for business plans, tax returns, or financial projections. The entire process centers on case strength. That is the only thing that matters to us.
Case Types We Fund
Firms across multiple practice areas use attorney funding. Here are the categories that commonly qualify:
Personal Injury
Car accidents, slip and fall claims, premises liability, and medical malpractice. These cases involve significant treatment costs and often stretch across multiple years of negotiation. Funding covers expert medical reviews, depositions, and the wait.
Wrongful Death and Catastrophic Injury
Fatal accidents and permanent injury cases demand extensive investigation and expert testimony before they are ready to settle. Funding lets your firm build the strongest version of the case without cutting corners due to budget pressure.
Mass Torts and Product Liability
Defective products, dangerous pharmaceuticals, and faulty medical devices. These cases require real upfront investment in research, document review, and expert retention. Attorney funding provides the capital to pursue them properly.
Class Actions
Class actions can take years to reach resolution. Funding helps your firm stay operational throughout extended litigation without draining working capital on overhead alone.
Commercial Litigation
Business disputes, contract claims, and intellectual property matters. Discovery in these cases is expensive and expert witnesses are not cheap. Funding ensures you can pursue them thoroughly regardless of how long they run.
Cases need to show clear liability and real damages. Cases with weak or questionable liability do not pass our underwriting review. We evaluate each submission individually based on its specific facts.
Costs, Risk, and Repayment
Attorney funding costs more than a bank loan. That is the honest answer and it is worth understanding why.
When we fund a contingency case, we take on genuine risk. If the case does not produce a recovery, we get nothing back. That risk profile is priced into the cost of the capital. It is not price gouging. It is how non-recourse financing works.
Rates vary based on case type, expected timeline, and advance amount. Most agreements charge a fixed percentage that builds over time. Longer cases cost more in total repayment than shorter ones. Every cost is disclosed in writing before you sign anything.
How repayment works
When the case settles or results in a verdict, repayment comes directly from case proceeds. Your firm does not make monthly payments. You do not use personal assets or other case fees to cover the balance. The funding is tied to the funded case and nothing else.
What happens if you lose
Nothing. If the case closes without a recovery, you owe us nothing. Your personal assets, your home, your other cases, all of it stays protected. That is the entire point of non-recourse structure and it is not a technicality. It is the actual deal.
One thing to check before applying
Your client fee agreement needs to permit litigation finance. Most contingency agreements already include language that allows attorneys to assign fees or use outside funding. Check your fee contracts and confirm compliance with your state bar rules before submitting an application.
Why Attorneys Choose ECO
We have been working with contingency fee firms since 2014. Not just processing applications but actually understanding how plaintiffs’ practices operate.
We move fast: Most applications get a decision within 3 to 5 business days. We do not drag you through a bank-style approval process. The focus stays on your cases, not your firm’s financial history.
We are straight with you on terms: You get a written agreement with clear repayment figures before you commit to anything. You will know exactly what different settlement outcomes mean for your repayment before you sign. No surprises when the case closes.
You control the money: Once funded, the capital is yours to deploy however your firm needs it. Case costs. Payroll. Marketing. Technology. We do not require spending reports or restrict how you use it.
We speak your language: Our team includes people with legal backgrounds. When you call us, you are talking to someone who understands what a Daubert motion is, how discovery disputes work, and what a settlement conference actually looks like. That makes conversations faster and more useful.
Pricing that reflects the real market: We price at rates consistent with industry standards for non-recourse litigation finance. We are not the cheapest option out there, and any funding company claiming to be dramatically cheaper deserves scrutiny. We structure terms that make practical financial sense for your practice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does attorney funding change my relationship with my clients?
No. This is an arrangement between your firm and ECO. Your clients are not involved. The funding agreement does not change your fee arrangement with them, and you keep complete control over case strategy and settlement decisions.
What if my case settles for less than expected?
Repayment comes from the actual settlement proceeds based on your agreement terms. In a true non-recourse arrangement, you owe only what the case produces. Read your agreement carefully so you understand exactly how the repayment calculation works at different settlement levels.
Can I apply if my firm is new and has no credit history?
Yes. A new firm with strong cases qualifies the same way an established firm does. We look at case liability, damages, insurance coverage, and expected resolution value. Your credit history does not factor into the decision.
How fast does funding actually arrive after approval?
Most firms receive funds within 24 to 48 hours after signing the agreement. Wire transfers typically process the same business day. From initial application to funded capital, the average timeline is 5 to 7 business days depending on how quickly case documentation comes in.
Let’s Talk About Your Firm’s Situation
If your firm is carrying case costs that are straining your operating account, or if you are turning down good cases because you cannot afford the upfront investment, attorney funding is worth a serious look.
The evaluation process takes less than a week. Our team gives you an honest read on whether your cases qualify. No runaround. No pressure.
ECO works with solo practitioners, small firms, and large practices. Whether your firm needs $25,000 or $500,000, we structure funding around your specific situation.
Call 800-961-8924 to speak with someone on our team. Or apply online and we will get back to you within 48 hours. All inquiries are handled confidentially.