legal claims that might be made, identifies possible defendants, and evaluates the strength of the case. A lawyer may decline to accept a case if the lawyer believes that the legal claims will not succeed in court, if the cost of litigation is expected to exceed the amount that can reasonably be recovered from the defendants as compensation for the client's injury. Compensation Lawyer fees may be charged in a number of ways, including contingency fees, hourly rates, and flat fees. In many countries, personal injury lawyers work primarily on a contingency fee basis, sometimes called an if-come fee, through which the lawyer receives a percentage of a client's recovery as a fee, but does not recover a fee if the claim is not successful. In some jurisdictions, or by virtue of the retainer agreement between an attorney and client, the amount of the legal fee may vary depending upon whether a case settles before a lawsuit is filed, after a lawsuit is filed but before trial, or if the case goes to trial. For example, a retainer agreement might provide that a lawyer will receive a 33 and 1/3% contingency fee if a case settles before a lawsuit is filed, a 40% contingency fee if the case settles after the lawsuit is filed, or up to 45% if the lawsuit goes to trial. Due to the high cost of litigation, personal injury lawyers are rarely retained to work based on an hourly fee. However, defense attorneys who are hired to contest personal injury claims are often paid on an hourly basis. Ethics An attorney should provide diligent representation to clients, and the ultimate professional responsibility of a personal injury lawyer is to help plaintiffs obtain just compensation for their losses. As with all lawyers, the attorney-client relationship is governed by rules of ethics. In the United States, lawyers are regulated by codes of conduct established by state bar associations, which have the power to take disciplinary action against lawyers who violate professional or ethical regulations. States normally require all contingency agreements between lawyers and their clients to be in writing, and may limit the amount that may be charged as a contingency fee to a specific maximum percentage of the recovery. Organizations Although membership is not required for personal injury practice, many personal injury lawyers join professional associations. For example: American Bar Association – a professional association dedicated to