Your contingency fee agreement will set out the exact percentage. California personal injury lawyers typically get 33 to 40 percent as their contingency fee.The actual figure depends on how complex your case is. Lawyers consider various factors when setting their fees. A lawyer who is well-known in a certain area of the law might charge more than someone who is not. Generally, personal injury lawyers recover 20 to 50 percent of the client's total recovery amount. Personal injury attorneys usually take around 33 percent, or onethird, of the proceeds of the case.