No statutory cap, but reasonableness still applies
Colorado imposes no statutory percentage cap on attorney contingency fees in personal injury cases. The fee is set by private agreement between attorney and client, subject to Colorado Rule of Professional Conduct 1.5, which requires the total fee to be reasonable. 33.3%, or one-third, is a commonly used figure.
A real ballot fight, folded into a bigger deal
In 2024, a proposed ballot initiative (Initiative 170) would have capped attorney contingency fees in personal injury and wrongful death cases at 25% of the client's total award. It was withdrawn before reaching voters — not because it failed to gather signatures, but as part of a broader compromise: in exchange, the Colorado legislature passed House Bill 24-1472, which substantially raised the state's non-economic damages caps instead. A companion initiative to eliminate the damages cap entirely was withdrawn at the same time. No fee cap exists in Colorado today as a result.
What else comes out before you do
Case costs — expenses the attorney typically advances during litigation, like expert witness fees, filing fees, and the cost of gathering medical records — are generally reimbursed from the settlement. If Medicare, Medicaid, or a private health insurer has an outstanding lien for medical treatment related to the injury, that amount is also repaid before you receive your net share.