Whether you must pay a lawyer before stepping into a courtroom depends entirely on your agreed fee arrangement and the type of legal proceeding. If you have hired a private attorney on an hourly basis or under a flat-fee retainer agreement, they will require payment or an upfront deposit into a trust account before performing work or representing you in court. Conversely, if your case utilizes a contingency fee structure, you do not pay upfront legal fees prior to court dates, as the lawyer is compensated strictly from the final recovery.