Do I need a public adjuster or an attorney?
A public adjuster documents, estimates, and negotiates the amount of loss for a percentage of the recovery. An attorney handles the coverage fight: denials, bad faith, pre-suit notice, and litigation. If the carrier disputes the number, start with an adjuster. If it disputes coverage, that is legal work.
| Public adjuster | Licensed by the state, paid a percentage, works the scope and the estimate. Cannot give legal advice or sue. |
|---|---|
| Attorney | Handles denials, policy interpretation, bad faith, and suit. In FL and SC, property work is usually contingency. |
| Amount dispute | Scope and pricing disagreements, appraisal, supplemental claims: adjuster territory. |
| Coverage dispute | Denial letters, exclusions, late-notice defenses, EUO demands: attorney territory. |
- • A public adjuster handles a valuation dispute: the carrier agrees the loss is covered, but the check is too low.
- • An attorney handles a legal dispute: a denial of coverage, an unreasonable delay, alleged fraud or misrepresentation, or bad faith.
- • Only an attorney can file suit, pursue a statutory bad-faith / civil-remedy claim (FL § 624.155; SC § 38-59), or give legal advice.
- • Public adjusters charge a percentage of recovery (FL caps it: 20%, or 10% after a declared emergency, § 626.854). Property-insurance attorneys commonly work on contingency, and fee-shifting statutes can shift some or all fees to the carrier.
- • Many claims use both: an adjuster first, an attorney if the carrier will not deal fairly. Listed by license, not vetted; verify before hiring.
The number vs. the law
Strip away the marketing and the difference is simple. A public adjuster is licensed to build, document, and negotiate the value of a claim the insurer already agrees is covered. An attorney is licensed to argue the law, whether coverage exists at all, whether the carrier handled the claim lawfully, and whether it owes more because it did not.
Everything below flows from that line. If your dispute is "how much," you are likely in adjuster territory. If it is "covered or not," "on time or not," or "handled fairly or not," you are in attorney territory.
Which fight are you in?
Match your situation to the signals below. Several of these can be true at once. When in doubt, the attorney signals win, because only an attorney can protect the legal rights on a deadline.
- The carrier accepts the loss is covered but the estimate is low on scope, pricing, or depreciation.
- You need a full, line-item claim documented and negotiated and the numbers are the whole fight.
- Hidden damage surfaced during repairs and needs a supplemental claim.
- The claim was denied outright, coverage itself is in dispute.
- The carrier alleges misrepresentation, fraud, or a policy violation.
- The carrier is sitting on the claim past the statutory deadlines, or lowballing in bad faith.
- A public adjuster or appraisal has already run and the carrier still will not pay what the policy owes.
A denial letter is the clearest signal of all. Learn to read one in anatomy of a denial letter, and confirm the deadlines that protect your rights in claim timelines.
Public adjuster vs. attorney, side by side
What only an attorney can do
A public adjuster’s license lets them value and negotiate. It does not let them do any of the following. These require a licensed attorney:
- File a lawsuit. When negotiation and appraisal fail, only an attorney can take the carrier to court.
- Pursue bad faith or a civil remedy. Florida’s civil-remedy statute (§ 624.155) and unfair-claim-practices statute (§ 626.9541), and South Carolina’s improper-practices framework (§ 38-59), are legal claims an attorney brings, often after a required notice period.
- Interpret the law and advise you. Reading a statute or a policy exclusion for you, and telling you what to do about it, is the practice of law.
- Handle a fraud or misrepresentation allegation. Once the carrier accuses you of a policy violation, the stakes are legal, not just financial.
How each one gets paid
Public adjuster: a percentage of what you recover. Florida caps it at 20% of the claim payment, and 10% for claims from a declared emergency in the first year (§ 626.854); South Carolina sets no statutory cap. The fee comes out of your recovery. Full detail in the fees guide.
Attorney: property-insurance attorneys commonly work on contingency, no fee unless you recover. In some first-party property disputes, fee-shifting statutes can require the insurer to pay some or all of the attorney’s fees, though the rules and their availability have changed and vary by state and claim type. Confirm the arrangement and any fee-shifting with counsel; this is general information, not a promise about your case.
Using both, and the order
The two roles are not mutually exclusive. A typical path: a public adjuster documents and negotiates the claim; if the carrier denies coverage, drags the file past the deadlines, or lowballs in bad faith, an attorney takes the legal side. Some claims involve both from the start.
If your claim was denied rather than merely underpaid, consider starting with the attorney review. A denied claim is a legal question first. If it is covered but underpaid, a public adjuster or appraisal may resolve it without litigation. When you are not sure which, a free case review costs nothing and tells you where you stand.
PA vs. attorney FAQ
My claim was denied. Do I need a public adjuster or an attorney?
A flat denial of coverage is usually a legal dispute, not a valuation dispute, that points to an attorney. A public adjuster negotiates the amount of a claim the carrier agrees is covered; when coverage itself is denied, an attorney is the professional who can challenge the denial and, if warranted, pursue a bad-faith or civil-remedy claim. A free attorney review is a low-risk first step.
Can a public adjuster and an attorney work on the same claim?
Yes, and it is common. A public adjuster documents and values the loss and negotiates the covered amount; if the carrier denies coverage or acts in bad faith, an attorney takes the legal side. Some claims start with an adjuster and escalate to counsel; others involve both from early on. Fee arrangements should be spelled out in writing so you are not paying twice for the same work.
Is an attorney more expensive than a public adjuster?
Not necessarily. Public adjusters charge a percentage of recovery. Property-insurance attorneys commonly work on contingency, no fee unless you recover, and statutory fee-shifting provisions can require the insurer to pay some or all of the attorney fees in certain cases. The right question is not which is cheaper but which fight you are in.
What is a bad-faith or civil-remedy claim?
It is a legal claim that an insurer handled your claim unreasonably, denying, delaying, or underpaying without a reasonable basis. Florida provides a statutory civil-remedy process (Fla. Stat. § 624.155) tied to the unfair-claim-practices statute (§ 626.9541); South Carolina recognizes bad-faith claims and improper-practices remedies (S.C. Code § 38-59). Only an attorney can pursue one. This is general information, confirm current law with counsel.
Can a public adjuster refer me to an attorney?
Some do when a claim turns legal. You are free to choose your own attorney regardless. Whoever you hire, confirm the license (FL DFS or SC DOI for adjusters; the state bar for attorneys) and get the fee agreement in writing.
- Fla. Stat. § 624.155, Civil remedy ↗, Florida’s statutory civil-remedy process for improper claim handling; requires a civil-remedy notice.
- Fla. Stat. § 626.9541, Unfair claim settlement practices ↗, Defines the unfair methods and deceptive acts that underlie a Florida bad-faith claim.
- Fla. Stat. § 626.854, Public adjuster fees ↗, Public-adjuster fee cap: 20%, and 10% for declared-emergency claims.
- S.C. Code Title 38, Chapter 59, Improper claim practices / bad faith ↗, South Carolina’s improper-claim-practices framework and the basis for bad-faith remedies.
- S.C. Code Title 38, Chapter 48, Public Insurance Adjusters ↗, South Carolina licensing and conduct rules for public adjusters.
Not legal advice, and no attorney-client relationship is created by reading it. HurricaneLaw.Pro lists public adjusters by license and does not vet, rank, or recommend any adjuster or attorney. Confirm current law and your specific facts with a licensed attorney.
Not sure which one you need? Start here.
Send the denial or the low estimate and your declarations page. You’ll get a straight read on whether this is a valuation fight for an adjuster or a coverage fight that needs a lawyer.
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