An attorney lien is a lawyer's legal claim on a client's recovery, or on the file, to secure payment of fees and costs. It ranks among the claims on settlement proceeds and affects what a funder behind the firm or the client can recover.
A charging lien attaches to the proceeds of the matter the lawyer worked on. When counsel changes, the departing lawyer's lien can follow the case and complicate distribution.
Funders read the lien stack with care. Attorney liens, medical liens, statutory liens and prior advances can all sit ahead of or beside a position, and the order of payment determines the realizable amount.
An attorney lien is not the same as a contingency fee agreement. The agreement sets the fee. The lien is the security for collecting it.
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