So the AA Fandom has no shortage of jokes about how our favorite Anime Laywers generally prioritize stuff like the Power of Friendship above more mundane concerns like 'getting paid for doing their job' but...seriously now, how often do they actually get paid for lawyering?
The Big Overview of WAA Lawyers and Actually Getting Paid!!
The vast majority of AA Cases do not discuss payments for legal services explictly, so I will be Ranking how probable I feel it is the Lawyers got Paid. With a 0 standing for 'explictly and unambigiously did not get paid' and 1 standing for 'explictly and unambigiously did get paid'
That's an easy one, it is actually explicitly mentioned that no, Larry did not pay Phoenix for his services as a Lawyer.
And so, my first trial came to a close. Larry slapped me on the back and said, "Gee, Nick, it's good to have friends!" But I'm pretty sure he's not going to pay us. Unless you count the clock he gave Mia.
Which is brought up again months later during 'Turnabout Goodbyes'
Butz: Whoa… Nick. S-so, is that why you helped me out for free?
Phoenix: Uh… yes. I helped you because I believed in you. (Except I don't remember saying I'd do it for free…)
So Phoenix expected and wanted to get paid, but he’s just, like, not assertive enough to get his money off Larry. And thus a long legacy of Not Getting Money was born!
Probability of Getting Paid: 0
Okay, so the subject of money does not come up directly in ‘Turnabout Sisters’ but like… Maya does not seem to have a lot of liquid funds on her at this point. For most of the games she generally relays on Phoenix to pay for things for her. At best right now she is semi-dependent on Morgan for cash - and considering her motivations, she probably came out with some excuse like ‘oooh Mystic Maya must prove her independence in such a dire situation or something, the whole Fey Family is broke we can’t afford to give you any more money I feel so bad ooooh’.
So I think if Phoenix got paid for defending her that was mostly a token symbolic gesture of gratitude more than actually anything that’ll help him pay the rent. And obviously Phoenix wouldn’t gain anything if he paid himself for that second trial of the case lol
Probability of Getting Paid: 0.1
Okay, so this is the first case where I think it is more likely than not Phoenix Actually Got Paid. There’s nothing textual, but I think with the implications of Phoenix starting the case fretting over how to pay the rent:
Phoenix: A month has passed since my trial. Mia's murder was the talk of the town for some time… But no one paid any attention to the Wright & Co. Law Offices… How am I going to pay the rent this month?
Maya: It'll be okay. I'm sure some big client is just around the corner!
Phoenix: Hmph.
And THEN his new Client is Will Powers who is:
a fairly sucessful actor whose life and career seems to be unglamorous but financially stable.
the first cilent Phoenix has who isn't a friend, a relative-of-a-friend or Literally Himself
generally just a really nice and wholesome guy.
It seems pretty likely to me that Phoenix and Maya got paid for this one!
Probability of Getting Paid: 0.8
OKAY so, I've seen folks say that Phoenix would've probably done this for free cause he sees this whole thing as repaying a debt for Being Nice to Him in Fourth Grade because as we all know, Phoenix is a Certified Ridiculous Human Being.
Phoenix: This is my chance to finally pay you back.
Maya: Pay him back…?
Edgeworth: Pay me back? For what? I don't remember ever doing anything for you.
Phoenix: Never mind… I guess you don't really need to know.
Buuuuut... Larry at the time was also part of that Class Trial Bestie Pact and Phoenix did expect him to pay I mean Larry is not the Love of His Life but still.
And more important, this case ALSO established that Miles has a problem expressing gratitude and overcompensate using financial gifts.
Phoenix: Thank you. Oh, wait! Umm… I was wondering, how much is bail going to be?
Gumshoe: Don't worry about that. Mr. Edgeworth is posting the whole amount.
Phoenix: What? Edgeworth…?
Gumshoe: Didn't I tell you? He's grateful to her for what she did. Alright, pal. Well don't forget to go pick her up, okay?
Phoenix: (Hmm… Maybe I can get Edgeworth to pay this month's rent, too…)
So I feel, like, regardless of what Phoenix wanted - at the end of this trial - Miles IS going to make sure he is GETTING PAID. Dude was probably shoving checks into his mailbox like a full month after the trial concluded.
Probability of Getting Paid: 0.9
So... the person who initially hires Phoenix to the case is Ema Skye, a 16 year old girl whose main funds are her allowance. And Phoenix was kinda willfully ignoring his financial situation at the start and only took this case for sentimental reasons. (just more evidence that Miles was STILL sending him payments for 'Goodbyes' lol)
It's been two months since Maya left the office… Two months without a single trial. I've had offers… But none I took. That is… until the day that girl showed up.
However he does get 'formally requested' by her probably-well-off-considering-prosecutors-in-this-series older sister shortly thereafter.
Lana: … Mr. Wright?
Phoenix: Y-yes?
Lana: I believe our discussion here is ended. The rest… I leave to you.
Phoenix: …! Um… you mean, you're requesting my services as your defense?
Lana: Don't lose any sleep over it. Your client has confessed, after all. The case is over.
Phoenix: Right… I'll do what I can to get to the bottom of this.
Lana: …
And after a very long and harrowing journey of being in-conflict with his own client, Lana did end up being very grateful for what he did. And again, this case espacially emphasizes that 'prosecutors make the big bucks' - so she had both the means and will to pay him.
Probability of Getting Paid: 0.6
Alrighty, so, Maggey is generally a nice girl and also a fangirl of Phoenix Wright and that gives her an incentive to support him financially...
Actually, I really love to watch court proceedings, and I always root for you to win! When I'm off duty, I like to come here and…
But with how unlucky she is, that might imply that she could have Money Troubles. Although on the other hand she at least has a stable job at the moment... But on the other OTHER hand she does mention how all the other lawyers 'laughed her off'
Just when I thought all hope was lost; when all the other lawyers had laughed me off… "Leave it to me!" you said! You! The one and only Phoenix Wright came to save the day! And just like that, I was moved to tears, sir! I'll never forget what you're doing for me, EVER!
Which usually I wouldn't note as a financial thing. Usually when an AA Defendant is like 'oooh I have no one else to turn too, all the other lawyers turned me down......" this is because the case is considered too impossible to win or Unbearably Wacky (or some sort of conspiracy like with Maya in 'Sisters'). But, like, this is a Tutorial Case. Phoenix won that one with Fucking Amnesia. The 'impossibility' of the case was not the issue, so, yeah, it might legitimately be the money?
Probability of Getting Paid: 0.4
It's Maya Murder Trial Time Again! Pretty much the same as before with the two added factors being:
Maya is now officially employed in the Wright & Co. Law Offices during the duration of the trial.
AFTER the Trial, when Morgan is like, in jail - Maya might have a bit more acess to her family funds. Although they are established to Not Be Doing Well Financially in general....
A piece of cloth with a ton of finely-written characters jammed onto it. Probably esoteric knowledge only mediums should know. …Hmm, let's see… Here's one in English… It says… "100 Ways to Save Money". … Being a medium sounds like a rough way of life…
I think all in all these kinda even out to the same Chances of Getting Paid at last time??
Probability of Getting Paid: 0.1
So if you ever start discussing how pointless the AA 'middle cases' are - just remember this one crucial detail; they are the most reliable way Phoenix Wright gets food on his plate! We once again have a stranger (that Phoenix won't feel obligated to defend for free) that is very explictly Fabulously Wealthy.
He's not as nicey-nice as Will Powers is but I feel like paying Phoenix's legal fees is not something Max will bet an eye at.
Phoenix: It's a table for guests… There are some papers scattered on top.
Maya: Ah! Look at this! Max's salary is written on this piece of paper. YIKES!
Phoenix: W-What is it?
Maya: I didn't know a magician… This salary is incredible!
Phoenix: (She looks like she's about ready to pass out from shock…) How much is it!? How much is it!? T-T-THAT MUCH!?
Maya: Incredible, huh?
Phoenix: You can say that again.
Probability of Getting Paid: 0.7
Okay so this is the Big One. This one’s a really complicated one to determine.
Let’s just get the first thing out of the way, the fact that Phoenix “”lost”” the case does not matter one way or another. Criminal Defense Lawyers, as a general rule, do not work on a Contingency Fee Basis. That means they are paid regardless of the result of the trial. So if this was a normal trial, Phoenix would probably be paid.
But this was not a normal trial, was it?
Phoenix was FORCED to work as a Defense Attorney due to a KIDNAPPER. And, like, my first instinct is ‘if you are already forcing someone to work via criminal means, why the hell would you also pay them??’
Buuuuut….. This is MY instinct, not the instinct of goddam Shelly De Killer.
Since Shelly’s whole thing is being the Honorable Assassin, and he has some level of respect towards Phoenix as like a Fellow Professional. I can see him thinking maybe wanting Phoenix to get paid for the work he is Coercing Him To Do Under Threat of Murdering His Best Friend for the sake of Honor.
But also also, Phoenix’s terms are not officially with De Killer, it’s with This Asshole!
And Matt Engarde is absolutely the kind of guy to casually take advantage of Phoenix’s frantic ‘please please just let me be your lawyer or my Friend is gonna Die!’ thing where, like, obviously getting paid is NOT gonna cross through Phoenix’s head atm in order to not pay/severely underpay the guy even though he can obviously afford it.
All in all, things are not looking good for this case’s probability, which is a shame considering how it ends.
Powers: Um, anyway… So, who's paying for this lovely dinner party?
Maya: As if you need to ask! Everyone say, "Thank you" to Nick!
Phoenix: Huh?
Gumshoe: Ah, yeah… I'm kinda at the point where I can't even buy instant noodles, pal. So I kinda already put your name on the bill.
Probability of Getting Paid: 0.3
First time covering a Lawyer that’s not Phoenix!
Now, Mia’s client in this case is a college student who probably doesn't have tons of personal funds, and considering her own motivations for taking on the case she probably would’ve done it for free but…
At the time she was employed at the Grossberg Law Offices, and Phoenix hired just the office in general and then Mia took over the case just last night.
Grossberg: Still, you surprised me… What, with your earnest request last night… "Let me handle this case!" you suddenly said. And quite forcefully, too!
Mia: I just found out yesterday. About the case, I mean.
So... really this is just the Vibes I get from the Grossberg Law Offices, being generally the more professional and by-the-book law offices compared to the utter chaotic energy of Wright and Co, that makes me assume that they usually reliably charge their clients and pay their lawyers.
There’s some evidence further down the line (which we’ll get to soon) that some of their lawyers do some pro-bono work - but I dunno if Phoenix’s case was extreme enough to necessitate that (I mean he might be a broke college student but his family would probably help him with the legal funds although that assumes they even exist) . So my assumption is that Mia probably did get paid. Probably?
Probability of Getting Paid: 0.75
So, Ron DeLite used to really financially struggle to keep up with his wife’s shopaholic habits - but that seems to have stabilized ever since his ‘benefactor’ showed up. So I’d assume he still has some funds left to pay his lawyer. I mean I guess it won’t be totally implausible if Desiree did manage to blow through them all…. Or maybe being a a high-spending shopaholic means that she’d want to pay extravagantly for her lawyer as well?
Probability of Getting Paid: 0.7
It’s Maggey again! And now she’s:
Closer to a friend, or at least a friend-of-friend. Rather than Just Another Client.
Is probably in a more dire financial state than before, on account of being unemployed and also in jail for the last two months.
Also being a waitress isn’t that prestigious a job anyways
And if anyone is gonna help her cover her legal fees it could only be Gumshoe which… does not bode well to anyone involved!
Pissed at Phoenix cause it took her some time to realize that no, that guy who got her found guilty two months ago is not him
So basically everything that changed since her last trial makes it less likely that Phoenix charged for his legal services. I'm sure she'd try her best by the end, but Phoenix might just wave it off to save everyone a headache.
Probability of Getting Paid: 0.3
So first things first I want to reiterate that Criminal Defense Attorneys generally get paid regardless of if they ‘win’ and while I couldn’t find any concrete statements about the matter - I believe they get paid even if their clients die mid-trial??? I mean, the legal fees just get added to their posthumous debts? So the lawyer would hypothetically be able to claim their due payment from the deceased’s remaining funds and possessions. If they wanted to, that is…
Cause, well, this is why I said the Grossberg Law Offices might do some pro-bono cases. Terry Fawles was, like, a part-time tutor who has been incarcerated for the last five years. If he has any family or friends outside that could help him with his legal fees, he never mentions them.
So I’m really not sure if he bought Mia services or if she volunteered to do this pro-bono after hearing he had no options for legal representations out of concern for, like, prisoners rights.
And even if he was supposed to pay Mia for her service, after the grim ending of the case - I’m not sure if she would’ve even tried to pursue getting her legal fees from Fawles’ posthumously/from his next of kin. From how deeply traumatized she was by that trial, I think that would’ve only made her feel worse about the whole situation.
Probability of Getting Paid: 0.05
Iris is a nun from a small temple that is mentioned to not-be-doing-so-hot (cause it’s tied with the Kurain Channeling Technique and it’s been on a downturn since DL-6), but she does have at least enough personal funds to have her own cell-phone and occasionally go into town. So it’s not a lot, but I think it’s enough to get Phoenix at least a a symbolic token-of-gratitude payment.
Also, it might be possible Phoenix will wave off the fees due to the Personal Connection to the case. You know, he was doing this primarily to Uncover the Truth and get some personal closure for the Dahlia mess.... Or maybe not, cause he did still get paid (or tried to get paid, or forced to get paid) to save his two Fourth-Grade-Life-Debt Childhood Best Friends in court?
(And I do mean just Phoenix, Miles probably would never charge for his services as ‘acting defense attorney’, we don’t need that farce to get any farcier)
Probability of Getting Paid: 0.3
Now this is a complicated one, let us list the factors here one-by-one:
1. As per Apollo’s comment in the next episode, the Gavin Law Offices probably operated strictly quid pro quo.
(Good-bye, quid pro quo. Hello pro bono. sigh)
2. Phoenix is supposedly friends with the boss of the Agency. And in reality, Kritoph Gavin has a very VERY vested interest in making sure the trial goes According to Plan. Incentivising him to at least give Phoenix a discount.
3. Phoenix is also not doing that great financially right now.
4. Oh right, that entire law agency disbanded once the boss got arrested at the end of the trial!
…Speaking of which, I may be out of a job. I work for Gavin Law Offices, after all. (I still can't believe I just saw Mr. Gavin get led away in handcuffs…)
I think it is most likely that Phoenix got some sort of “”Friend”” Discount from Kristoph. But I really don’t know what happens if an entire law firm gets disbanded right after the trial cause the owner got arrested as a result of it. It probably depends on whether Phoenix was in agreement with the Gavin Law Offices who then assigned Apollo on the case or if Phoenix had an agreement with Apollo directly.
Probability of Getting Paid: 0.5
Oh hey, look! Another rare case of an Ace Attorney that actually discusses the issue of money directly!
Well, I mean we know how much Apollo got paid for solving the case of Phoenix’s accident and Trucy’s panties (nothing) and for solving Eldoon’s Noodle Cart Theft (a free bowl of ramen). We don’t see them directly discuss the subject of payment regarding Apollo’s Actual Job…
Apollo: Your request… let me guess, something's been stolen?
Alita: Um, your flyer… It says "now defending" so I thought…
Apollo: Whaaaat!? You mean, you mean you want me to defend you? Me?
Trucy: Maybe you can tell us what happened? Were you hit by a car? Did someone steal your stand? Or your panties?
Alita: No! No… I'm not the client, actually. The client would be my… well, my fiancé, I suppose you'd call him.
Apollo: Fiancé…? What happened to him, then?
Alita: He was arrested this morning. The charge… was murder.
But as he was complaining before about not only being pigeonholed as some sort of a detective, but also not getting paid for anything…
Um… I was wondering when I get paid? We solved the case of your accident, and um, found a missing article of clothing.
And then getting this job and being so happy about it...
Trucy: Polly! You look as happy as a clam in its shell.
Apollo: For a lawyer this is it, the place where the battle begins!
Implies that He’s Getting Paid - just as much as with Phoenix’s rent stuff in ‘Turnabout Samurai’ if not more.
Also, I don’t think the fact that the person who hired him wanted him to fail and is now going to prison is a factor here.
As I already mentioned, Defense Attorneys get paid regardless of the outcome of a trial and logically that would apply both when they lose and when they win. Plus, I am pretty sure Alita filed her request officially through Wocky’s name or the Kitaki family in general and they were obviously very grateful for what Apollo did, and they had both the wins and wills to pay him.
So let’s give a big round of applause for Apollo Justice, the WAA Lawyer most likely to get paid!
Probability of Getting Paid: 0.99
These kind of showbiz-focused Middle Cases are generally pretty good for Getting Paid Probabilities, but this case is a bit more complicated.
Cause the plot of this case hinges on Machi being so desperate for money that he was willing to risk death via cocoon smuggling,
Situation… I cannot explain. But money. I needed. Very much money.
That doesn’t necessarily mean he was unable to afford a lawyer - without details of why exactly he needed that Sweet, Sweet Cocoon Money we can’t be sure. But it’s plausible that hiring Apollo was not out of his price range but he was desperate for something far more expensive.
Considering his young age and… you know, until the final day of the trial he pretended to not understand a word of English, it’s also possible hiring Apollo was a matter handled by Lamirior and/or the duo’s agency. Both of which will probably feel committed to Actually Paying, each from their own angle.
Probability of Getting Paid: 0.7
Now, HERE’S a complicated one!
Going generally over the usual stuff, Vera is a pretty nice person and she’s clearly grateful for what Apollo and Trucy did for her. And while the Misham Family was driven into forgeries by financial desperation, at the present-time they seem stable enough that Vera could at least afford the rates of the WAA. If this was just another case, it’ll get like a solid 0.7 at minimum. Pretty typical stuff by now.
But this isn’t just one more ordinary case. This a weird sort of ‘Test Trial’ for the Jurist System with every factor - including the Defendant and the Attorney - arranged by Phoenix’s weird little committee.
Well, for one, I'll be chair of the Jurist System Simulated Court Committee. The chair constructs the ideal situation… choosing the case, the jurist candidates… …even the judge and the courtroom.
Apollo: So… what kind of case is the trial simulation about?
Phoenix: Well, since it is the first run through of a new system, I wanted something simple.
Trucy: Good thinking! No sense wearing yourself out on something too serious!
Phoenix: True. The case is a murder.
Apollo: That's not simple at all!!
Trucy: By "simple", did you mean that the defendant is…
Phoenix: …Guilty. Yes. Most likely. …So, good luck, Apollo.
Apollo: Um… with what?
Phoenix: With the trial tomorrow. You're defending, of course. Recall that I said it had something to do with you.
So I guess the question here, did Phoenix basically make Vera officially hire Apollo? Did the committee hire Apollo and they’re the one paying him? Is this another case of Phoenix trolling Apollo into doing Free Volunteer Work for him?
Honestly I wouldn’t put that past the AA4 version of Phoenix..............but also if he did that I doubt he would’ve missed a chance to crack a joke at Apollo’s expense about that.
...You know, I started this thread of thought with the thought I’m arguing for a lower Getting Paid score for this case but I think I just talked myself into increasing the probability.
Probability of Getting Paid: 0.8
Also bonus round: THE TRIAL OF SHADI ENIGMAR!
Zero fucking chances Phoenix got paid on this one. HIS CLIENT DISAPPEARED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE COURT PROCEEDING! And even if Phoenix gets paid before a trial is concluded (unlikely, since he didn’t know Larry wasn’t paying him until after the case was closed), he was his attorney for like half-a-day before he disappeared so wouldn’t have much of a chance either way. And considering Zak’s character (and how he also tried to sabotage Phoenix’s current Poker-based career seven years after that), I doubt he put that much thought into Phoenix and his financial considerations to give him a down payment in case he had to to do his disappearnce act or whatever. The only thing Zak left Phoenix with when he left was his goddam abandoned child and ONE LESS BADGE!
So I think this case deserves a very special score!
Probability of Getting Paid: -1
It’s time for Athena’s first case! Or second case, depending on how you look at it.
Now, one of the major ways that Dual Destinies is gonna shake this Deep Serious Analysis up is that before we had, like, one Active Full-Time Lawyer at any time (maybe with a backup lawyer for Flashback Cases), and we now have Three Different Lawyers actively working together on the same cases. My main concern is primarily not which WAA Lawyers get paid for these cases, but IF any of them got paid at all. Still, shenanigans of cases changing hands officially and unofficially are gonna play a factor in my analysis as well.
And it’s here right from the start! We once again have a Lawyer defending their bestest friend in the whole world, and while some people’s instincts might suggest that means that Defense was for free, well… First things first, we already established Precedence for that back in the first trial of the first game with Larry (not for Lawyers getting paid by their friends, but at least expecting payment) and Juniper’s family is probably doing Just Fine considering she attends this super-fancy-pant prestigious Lawyer High School - so she would want to financially support Athena I would think.
And ALSO, Juniper technically didn’t hire Athena, Apollo was the one supposed to defend Junie in court at first. And although Juniper is… growing closer to Apollo at this point in canon, I don't think it's quite the ‘defend me in court for Free’ point of their relationship, compared to where Juniper and Athena are at. So this is just, like, one extra point to the Final Score!
Probability of Getting Paid: 0.7
So in this episode, we actually have two different jobs we need to make sure if Apollo actually got paid for. We have the actual criminal defense case, and we also have Babysitting Trucy.
Trucy: Oh, we'd better hurry. Doesn't look Daddy's going to make it, so let's get going.
Apollo: Huh? Where are we going? What about the job he mentioned?
Trucy: This IS the job, Polly! You're supposed to keep me company today! Now, come on!
Apollo: Another day of not being a lawyer. Should've seen this coming.
Trucy: Well, this is the "Wright ANYTHING Agency," y'know. And there's no law-related work at the moment, so…
Apollo: (Tell me again why I chose to "work" here?) Where is Mr. Wright, anyway?
That being said, Phoenix might still be a bit of a troll but the WAA is doing a lot better financially now that Trucy has those Sweet Gramarye rights and he’s not quite as mean to Apollo as he was back in Hobomode. So I get a feeling that even with this little runaround, Apollo is probably at least getting paid for chaperoning Trucy around?? Probably?
The actual case is actually a lot more clear cut. It is directly mentioned that Damian Tenma could probably afford lawyers much more prestigious than the WAA, it’s just a matter of the WAA being the only ones crazy enough to take on this ‘doomed’ case.
Trucy: Apollo! Maybe this is your chance.
Apollo: Chance for what?
Trucy: To do the right thing and defend Jinxie's dad in court!
Apollo: Who, me? Wouldn't a man like Mayor Tenma have access to more experienced lawyers?
Jinxie: Umm… You wanna know what the detectives said? They doubted there was a lawyer who could get a not-guilty verdict in this one.
And with Mayor Tenma’s personality being based around being almost overly-generous and grateful…
Tenma: How… incredibly… RUDE!
Apollo: Umm, sorry. Did I do something to offend you?
Tenma: A visitor when all others shun me like a common criminal! And here I am with nothing to offer! I am the epitome of rude!
Apollo: (………Wait, so he wasn't mad at me?)
I feel like it is almost a certainty that Apollo and Athena did get paid for this case!
Probability of Getting Paid: 0.85
Okay so, it’s Junie again! Or Junie for the first time depending on how you look at it!
So all of the points I already brought up about Juniper from ‘Countdown’ still apply (save for the stuff about Apollo, of course) but ALSO this is right when Athena and Juniper reunited and their whole emotional arc in this case is about Athena feeling Juniper is being Uncharacteristically Cold and Distant towards her. So defending her on a Friend Discount would be a bit strange at this point. Maybe I can see Athena trying to insist she’d do it for free but Juniper refused?
Although I think that IS a bit weird that they had this big whole scene with Professor ScaryStatue taking over Juniper’s case and the issue of payment doesn’t even come up in passing. I mean, yes obviously, the issues of Trust and Truth and Aristotle Means being Sus as Fuck are the important things in this narrative but I’m suprised there’s not even a mention in passing. Like Means accusing Athena and Apollo of wanting this case back for the Money but they refute him???
Probability of Getting Paid: 0.8
Okay, look, I know I keep bringing up the Larry Precedence but it really IS quite relevant. If Actual Overly-Sentimental Human Disaster Phoenix Wright tried to charge a rate for his childhood best friend who was drifting through life doing weird odd jobs at that time. - Then Apollo, who is generally more practical minded, is probably going to charge a rate for his older acquaintance with the stable Astronaut Job. And while Solomon is a bit of a Space Larry, I don’t think he’d try and avoid the payment in quite the same way. Probably.
Probability of Getting Paid: 0.7
This trial has Phoenix defending one of his own employees in a trial forced on by a hostage situation. I feel silly even extending this paragraph any longer.
Probability of Getting Paid: 0.01
First things first, yes, an Orca cannot pay for an attorney - but I assume that the person who hired Phoenix is officially Sasha Buckler. Who IS a human being with her own funds capable of hiring a lawyer. Especially as we know that other lawyers turned her down specifically because her case is ridiculous (and not for financial reasons).
Phoenix: What's the real reason you picked me, Sasha?
Buckler: …Well, to be honest, I asked a whole slew of lawyers, but they all refused. They said stuff like, "There's no merit to taking your case," or "I'm not sure I can help." They're all as cruel as sharks, with hearts punier than whitebait!
She does mention doing a performance as thanks at the ending of the trial but that’s probably no replacement for Actual Money.
But I think most notable for our analysis about this case, is not actually any of the Orca stuff - it’s this exchange right here.
Blackquill: Today, the orca. Tomorrow, Sasha Buckler. You intend to save them both? Hmph. You say you "believe" in your clients, but isn't money really your true motivation? Why not admit you're only doing this for your own benefit? I could understand that much more readily than your empty, righteous talk.
Athena: Our own benefit?! That's not why we're doing it!
Phoenix: Now, Athena. Try not to let him get to you.
Yet another rare case of the game Acknowledging Lawyers Are Paid As a General Rule! And notably, when Phoenix and Athena deny it, they don’t deny the fact that they are getting paid - just that it’s not why they’re doing this. This is not exactly an explicit confirmation of Getting Paid to get the score up to a full 1, but it’s probably as close as we’re gonna get.
Probability of Getting Paid: 0.95
Okay, so Phoenix basically just bursted into the Courtroom and bluffed his way onto the empty defense bench despite the protests of his own so-called Client. Said client also only started unlearning his Defense-Attorney-Hate during that same trial. And is ALSO a tiny little child who has to work part time as a tour-guide to make end’s meet. I highly doubt Phoenix asked for anything more than, like, a very token rate or maybe a discount on his next tour.
Probability of Getting Paid: 0.1
Considering how this case has a WAA Lawyer defending the actual CEO of the WAA, I highly doubt the WAA got any money from it. But maybe Trucy could give him some of her personal funds as a token of gratitude?
Probability of Getting Paid: 0.2
It’s MAYA TIME again! And while some consideration has to go to her bond with Phoenix or the possibility of some sort of Frequent Accused card the WAA issued for her - the fact that she is not currently a Coworker at the law office and has been an Actual Independent Adult for quite some time now means it is actually a lot more likely she’s able to pay Phoenix now than in any case in the Original Trilogy!
Probability of Getting Paid: 0.5
This one’s a pretty average case. The Defendant is not a total stranger, but he is more of a friend-of-a-friend (and Simon was originally planning to get Apollo or Phoenix into the courtroom so the connection was even more distant when he contacted the WAA). He seems to be doing alright financially with his own noodle business, and he’s a pretty alright kinda guy. The only possible concern is that he’s too totally slushed to remember he’s supposed to pay his attorney. But then again, Simon might be ‘officially’ the one who hired the lawyer for the case.
Probability of Getting Paid: 0.6
It’s time for the THREE CASES IN ONE SPECIAL!! Because we don’t just need to consider Dhurke’s trial, I think it’s only appropriate that we take into account both Apollo and Phoenix’s side of the civil case. They are both WAA Lawyers, after all.
On Apollo’s side, he is defending Datz Are'bal, an escaped prisoner/wanted revolutionary criminal in his own country hiding away in an abandoned building and making homemade lizard skewers for food- but Datz did apparently enter Japanifornia legally via legitimate means.
Apollo: What are the charges this time?
Datz: Unauthorized entry, or something like that. They think I'm an illegal alien! And I can't prove otherwise ‘cause I lost my passport!
Trucy: Is there any way they'd let you go?
Datz: Not without my passport… If only I had it! Dhurke, AJ! You gotta find my passport!
Apollo: …All right, we'll find it. (One more thing to add to our to-do list. Now, where might Datz's passport be?)
So he presumably has some sort of funds to pay Apollo for his legal services, at least a little bit.
And with him being Dhurke’s best friend and knowing that he also struggled financially to make end’s meet as a defense attorney at first - I would like to think that’ll incentivise him to support Apollo financially if he can?
Probability of Getting Paid: 0.7
Meanwhile on Phoenix’s side, while Phoenix uses the word ‘hire’ when talking about working for Atishon. Phoenix was once again coerced via kidnapping into the position of attorney.
And THIS time, there is no Assassin with a Code of Honor who might consider paying Phoenix a fair rate. Both Atishon and his ‘benefactor’ are sleazeballs who would not pay Phoenix a dime if they can get away with it. Plus, with this being a civil case, there might actually be a Contingency Basis going on when Phoenix basically quit and then they lose.
Probability of Getting Paid: 0.001
And finally, the grand event of this case - the Trial of Dhurke!
So… Can a summoned undead spirit pay for an attorney? I suppose it’s probably easier in Khura'in than in other places. And it’ll mostly work the same as if the client died before the case finished, right? It’ll be considered a debt to be carried by their next of kin. Who in this case will be Nahyuta… but also maybe Apollo? Still, considering all of Dhurke’s living family ranges between ‘wealthy and well-respected’ and ‘Literal Royalty’ - I’m going to assume they’d be more than happy then to pay their Weird Brother for his help.
Probability of Getting Paid: 0.75
And here we are! The last case, and a relatively straightforward one at that - at least compared to the last one lol!
Ellen herself does not have many funds as a housemaid, it seems - but since she literally just married one of the richest inventors in the world, I assume her husband is gonna cover the legal fees. The WAA Legal Team and Also Edgeworth and Ema also got an invite to the Wedding but I assume this is not instead of actual payment?
That is, of course, unless it’s technically Larry who hired Phoenix actually.
Then he’s never getting the goddam money he deserves for his labor.
Probability of Getting Paid: 0.7
Average Probability Score for All Cases (not counting the Zak Bonus Round): 0.51721875
So what have we learned today? I think that while the WAA’s reputation for basically giving away legal services for free is not entirely unearned, it is perhaps somewhat exaggerated. While there’s certainly a lot of Shennanigans and their rates are probably not high (especially not for people they know), they still get paid for a decent amount of high-profile cases. I mean, this Getting Paid Probability Score is over the 50% mark at least....
And… the odd thing is that the First Turnabout really is the only time the subject of the lawyer getting paid is really brought up directly. I get that it might, y’know, ruin the Drama if we acknowledge that our Brave Heroes are getting paid to save people from being convicted of a crime they didn’t commit - or on the other hand of the equation, that they should get paid cause They Need Money to Live. But still…
Is the fact that the only time payment is brought up directly is when Larry isn’t paying Phoenix a bad sign for the general financial situation of our Anime Lawyers? Or is it actually a good sign? Like, that they only mention Larry not paying implying that every time it is not mentioned that means the client did pay them?
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