Natasha Batty, Principal Solicitor at Natasha Hall Law, explains how no win, no fee solicitors work.
The meaning of no win, no fee
“No win, no fee” relates to claims of personal injury which caused by someone else’s negligence.
Having a no win, no fee agreement with a solicitor ensures your claim for compensation if you obtain injury from an accident that was not under your fault.
Paying your solicitor with a percentage of the compensation will depend if they are successful in helping you or not.
Types of cases related to no win, no fee
The solicitor will determine during the initial consultation if you are entitled to a:
- no win, no fee personal injury;
- medical negligence; or
- dental negligence claim.
Most of the time, when you acquire injury from an accident that was not your fault, you can make a claim against the person who is responsible. Your solicitor can give you advice if you have a good chance of making a successful claim or not.
How does no win, no fee work?
Your solicitor will draft a conditional fee agreement, this agreement will ensure you that there will be no legal fees if your claim is not successful.
If the claim is successful, you will receive compensation and will need to pay your solicitor to cover the cost of their time and expertise.
The agreement between you and your solicitor covers:
- Legal fees.
- Medical reports.
- Court fees.
During an initial consultation, your solicitor will tell you if you have a case to make a no win, no fee claim.
Conditional fee agreement
A conditional fee agreement is an agreement between you and your solicitor that allows you to make a claim (which can be personal injury, medical or dental negligence) without having to pay legal fees unless the claim becomes successful.
Note that there are some fees that you are liable to pay even if the claim is unsuccessful, this will depend on the nature of your agreement.
Losing a no win, no fee case
Normally, when the claim is not successful, there is no need to pay any legal fees to your solicitor, but this will still depend on the nature of your conditional fee agreement.