Disputes & getting help
Should I hire a public adjuster or an attorney?
The short answer: a public adjuster documents and negotiates your claim for a percentage of the settlement — best when the fight is about scope and pricing on a large or complex claim. An attorney interprets your policy and fights coverage denials or bad faith — best when the fight is about whether something is covered, or how you've been treated. Neither is step one: document, dispute in writing, and work the insurer's process first.
What a public adjuster does
A public adjuster is licensed by the state (unlike the insurance company's adjuster, who works for the carrier, the public adjuster works for you). They inspect the damage, build the full scope of the claim, prepare the documentation, and negotiate directly with the insurer. Think of them as a professional version of what this site teaches you to do yourself.
- Cost: typically a percentage of the final settlement — commonly around 10%, though it varies by state and some states cap the fee. On a large claim, that percentage is real money, so do the math.
- Best for: large or complex claims where the dispute is about the amount — scope disagreements, underpriced estimates, mountains of documentation.
- Not for: small claims (the fee eats the benefit), or pure coverage questions — a public adjuster can't practice law.
- Watch for: anyone who knocks on your door after a storm pressuring you to sign. Reputable adjusters don't need to chase. Check the license with your state insurance department before signing anything.
What an insurance attorney does
An attorney handles the legal side: interpreting policy language, challenging wrongful denials, pursuing bad-faith claims, and filing suit if it comes to that.
- Cost: varies — some work on contingency (a percentage of recovery), some hourly, some offer free initial consultations. In some states, policyholders who win can recover attorney fees from the insurer.
- Best for: denied claims where the insurer's reading of the policy looks wrong, bad-faith handling (unreasonable delays, misrepresentation), and large losses where the stakes justify legal fees.
- Not for: straightforward scope disputes that a re-inspection or the appraisal clause could resolve for free.
The honest order of operations
- Document and dispute yourself first. Photos, a contractor's estimate, a written dispute — free, and it resolves a surprising number of claims. Challenging a low estimate →
- Use the free levers: re-inspection, formal appeal, your state insurance department complaint, mediation where available. The full ladder →
- Hire a public adjuster when the claim is large, the documentation burden is heavy, and the dispute is about dollars and scope.
- Hire an attorney when it's about coverage, bad faith, or the insurer won't engage with the process at all.
Insurance rules vary by state and by policy. Check your own policy documents and your state's insurance department, or talk to a licensed professional, before acting on a claim.