Case Value
The expected monetary worth of a legal case, used to assess whether the case justifies the resources required to handle it.
Case value is the number that makes legal business decisions possible.
Without knowing what a case is worth, you can't know whether it makes sense to take it.
How Case Value Gets Calculated
It depends entirely on the practice area and fee structure.
Contingency fee matters (personal injury, employment): Case value = Expected recovery × Fee percentage
A case likely to settle for $100,000 with a 33% fee has a case value around $33,000 (before expenses).
But "expected recovery" isn't certain. It's a probability-weighted estimate. A case with 50% chance of $100,000 and 50% chance of $0 has a different risk profile than a near-certain $50,000.
Hourly fee matters (business litigation, family law): Case value = Expected hours × Hourly rate × Probability of collection
A 50-hour matter at $300/hour with a solvent client is worth roughly $15,000.
Why Case Value Matters for Intake
Not every lead is equal. Case value tells you which leads deserve immediate attention.
When two leads come in simultaneously:
- Lead A: Minor fender bender, soft tissue injury, disputed liability
- Lead B: Serious injury from commercial truck accident, clear liability, policy limits high
Same time to call back. Vastly different case values. Lead B gets priority.
Estimating Value During Intake
You can't know precise case value from an intake conversation. But you can estimate.
Good intake captures value indicators:
For personal injury:
- Injury severity (surgery, hospitalization = higher value)
- Treatment timeline (ongoing = more damages)
- Liability clarity (clear fault = higher recovery probability)
- Defendant resources (commercial vehicle, property owner = deeper pockets)
For business matters:
- Amount in dispute
- Client's financial stability
- Complexity of issues
- Likelihood of prolonged litigation
AI can score leads based on these factors, giving you rough value estimates in real-time.
The Economics of Case Selection
Case value drives which cases you take.
If your average case costs $20,000 to litigate (staff time, experts, court fees), taking a case worth $15,000 is a losing proposition—even if you win.
This isn't greedy. It's math. Firms that take bad-value cases eventually go out of business, helping no one.
Case value assessment during intake protects your practice's sustainability.