Settlement velocity
Case duration is a capital variable, not just a legal milestone
Official federal court data shows why timing assumptions belong in every plaintiff firm's liquidity model.
The evidence
For the 12 months ending September 30, 2025, U.S. district courts reported a 15.6-month median from filing to disposition across 355,243 terminated civil cases. Cases disposed during trial had a 30.7-month median.
These are national federal-court figures across civil case types. They are not a settlement benchmark for personal-injury matters, and a firm's jurisdiction and case mix may differ materially.
Why a CFO should care
A contingency firm pays payroll, experts, records, depositions, and other case costs before an uncertain recovery. Every added month can extend the period in which capital is committed but produces no cash receipt.
A useful forecast therefore models timing as a distribution or scenario—not as one portfolio-wide average. Base, delayed, and accelerated resolution dates show whether a firm can remain above its liquidity floor when receipts move.
A practical review
Review the following monthly, by practice area and litigation phase:
- Expected fee receipts by likely resolution month
- Case-cost commitments remaining before resolution
- Forecast error between prior expected and actual resolution dates
- Liquidity headroom if receipts shift by three, six, or twelve months