Surveyed Readers Who Hired a Lawyer Reported More Than Four Times the Average Gross Compensation of Self-Represented Readers
In Nolo’s nationwide reader survey, readers who hired a lawyer reported average gross compensation of $77,600, compared with $17,600 among readers who represented themselves. Gross compensation is the amount from a settlement or award before attorney fees and other deductions. The comparison concerns the amount reported, not the likelihood of receiving compensation. It shows an association, not proof that hiring a lawyer caused the difference, and it does not predict an individual result.
Bruning uses a different internal measure. The firm reviewed cases it closed in 2025 with available policy limits of $100,000 or less. Each case received a score of 100% when Bruning recovered the full amount available under the applicable policy and 0% when it did not. Every case carried equal weight.
The equal-weight average was 59%, which means 59% of the qualifying cases reached the full amount available under the applicable policy. That is a majority of this defined group. A policy limit is the most that specific policy can pay. It is not the claim’s total value, the client’s net recovery, or a guarantee that another case will reach the same result.
I ended up receiving much more in my settlement than I expected.Steve · Google Review
Sources and limits: Martindale-Nolo Research’s 2017 nationwide opt-in reader survey included people who had personal-injury claims, researched hiring a lawyer, and chose to participate. Nolo’s comparison is observational and does not prove causation. Bruning’s 59% figure covers only cases the firm closed in 2025 with available policy limits of $100,000 or less. Steve’s review describes one client’s experience and does not establish that his case was part of that dataset. Neither figure nor the review guarantees an individual result.
