Attorney Referrals & Fee Sharing
Stay involved. Stay informed. Protect the relationship.
You do not have to become a personal-injury lawyer to benefit from a good personal-injury case—and you do not have to hand the matter away and simply hope for a good result.
A Different Kind of Referral Relationship
When an injured person comes to you because of an existing relationship—perhaps a client, former client, friend, family member, or professional contact—simply sending the case elsewhere can leave you outside the loop. Months later, if that person asks you what is happening, you may have little more information than they do.
Pelesko Legal takes a different approach. Pelesko Legal serves as lead counsel and handles the day-to-day personal-injury litigation, while participating counsel remains informed and appropriately involved throughout the representation.
Stay Current
Receive ongoing notice of significant developments, litigation activity, settlement discussions, and important strategic decisions.
Protect the Relationship
Remain sufficiently informed to speak knowledgeably with the client instead of having to say that the matter was referred away and you no longer know what is happening.
Keep PI Work Manageable
Pelesko Legal handles the pleadings, discovery, depositions, medical proofs, experts, negotiations, motions, arbitrations, and other day-to-day demands of the personal-injury case.
Participate in the Fee
In appropriate personal-injury matters, Pelesko Legal generally offers participating counsel one-third of the attorney fee earned by Pelesko Legal, subject to the applicable New Jersey Rules of Professional Conduct, the client’s written agreement, the responsibilities undertaken by counsel, and the circumstances of the particular matter.
The fee-sharing arrangement does not increase the client’s total attorney fee. The overall fee remains subject to New Jersey law and the requirement that the total fee be reasonable.
You Do Not Have to Be a Certified Civil Trial Attorney to Enter an Appropriate Fee-Sharing Arrangement
New Jersey distinguishes between a pure referral fee paid under Rule 1:39-6(d) by a certified attorney and a division of fees for legal services under RPC 1.5(e). Certification is not the only path to an ethically permissible division of fees between lawyers in different firms.
Pelesko Legal’s standard participating-counsel arrangement is structured under RPC 1.5(e), ordinarily using the rule’s written joint-responsibility alternative rather than treating the matter as a no-responsibility referral. Pelesko Legal acts as lead counsel, and the fee division, client notice and consent, each lawyer’s participation, and joint responsibility are documented for the particular matter.
New Jersey Rules of Professional Conduct — RPC 1.5 | NJ Supreme Court: In re Opinion No. 745 (2025)
Personal-Injury Matters Considered
Pelesko Legal considers personal-injury and negligence matters including, but not limited to:
More Than a Referral
- Pelesko Legal serves as lead counsel and manages the day-to-day prosecution of the case.
- Participating counsel receives notice of significant case developments and remains informed regarding litigation and settlement activity.
- Major developments and strategic issues can be discussed as appropriate.
- Participating counsel remains knowledgeable enough to communicate intelligently with the client about the status of the matter.
- The fee-sharing and responsibility arrangement is documented with the client and structured for compliance with applicable New Jersey ethics rules.
Have a Potential Personal-Injury Case?
Start with a brief lawyer-to-lawyer inquiry. Do not send confidential client information until conflicts have been checked.
This page provides general information about Pelesko Legal’s approach to attorney fee-sharing matters. Each arrangement must be evaluated and documented based on the facts of the particular representation and the rules then in effect.