What does a roof insurance claim lawyer do, and how are they paid?
Short answer. A roof insurance claim lawyer reviews your policy and the insurer's decision, sends formal demands, handles examinations under oath, and files suit if needed. Many work on contingency, taking an agreed percentage of what they recover, while others charge hourly, and Georgia's bad faith statute can shift reasonable attorney fees to the insurer if bad faith is proven.
What the work looks like
- Case review. Reading the full policy, the denial, the adjuster's estimate, and your roofer's documentation to decide whether the issue is coverage, amount, or delay.
- Demand. A written demand for payment, often framed to start the 60-day clock under O.C.G.A. 33-4-6.
- Negotiation or appraisal. Many cases settle here, sometimes after appraisal resolves the amount.
- Suit. Filed before the policy's suit limitation period expires, usually with an expert roofer or engineer.
Fee questions to ask
- What percentage, and does it change if the case settles before suit?
- Is the fee taken from the gross recovery or after case costs?
- Does the percentage apply to money the insurer had already offered?
- How are attorney fees awarded by a court credited against your fee?
- Who pays for expert inspections and reports?
Lawyer or public adjuster?
A public adjuster documents and negotiates but cannot give legal advice or sue. A lawyer can do both. If the insurer has denied coverage outright, a lawyer is usually the better fit; if the only dispute is price, appraisal may cost less than either. See also public adjuster vs roofer in Georgia. Whoever you hire, bring the whole policy, every letter in date order, and your roofer's photo report to the first meeting.