Q: I have been waiting to get paid on a particular PI case for 2 years. The bill is $2600. The attorney is offering me $1450. What recourse do I have and how do you recommend handling this situation? Thanks for your help. Thanks for your e-mail. I wish I had a good answer for you. You are stuck like a rock in a hard place. The PI market may have been difficult in your area .. this is especially true in the Atlanta market. The insurance providers are paying less in settlements and the attorney must decide to take it to court (with a waiting times of years) or settle it at less money. In this case .. the game for the attorney is to salvage something for themselves .. their clients and then you. If you agree not to take the money offered .. they can give the whole check to their client (the lien .. if there was one signed is not legal anyway) and you'll have to pry out the money from them .. often this is more difficult. The other option is to take the money offered .. often they ask you to sign a document that this is full payment .. and if you want that check this is what you'll have to do. You can ask the attorney to send you a copy of the settlement disbursal letter to see what exactly is being given to the attorney and the patient .. this may or may not be given but will jeopardize any future business with this firm. The best bet was to have the patient complete a form before care began that lets them know that you will sign for these reduced checks but they must also pay the difference. I would call this patient and let them know that their attorney wishes to settle the case and there will be balance of $1150 which is substantial. Let them know that your services were in reason and that they were aware that the full payment would be there responsibility regardless of settlement or using an attorney. Also let them know that their attorney would want you to sign a final settlement letter if you took their reduced fee check but you don't feel comfortable losing half of this service. As a matter of courtesy you will do so if they agree to pay the difference (or work out some deal of half that amount if paid within three months or so). This is the best you could do. There is no legal recourse without a long and costly protracted fight