No Win No Fee

Taking legal action can be expensive. Once you’ve reached the decision to take legal action, there are then solicitor’s fees to consider and the issue of how to pay for them. Over three million people are injured in accidents each year and in many cases someone else is responsible, in these cases, the victim of the accident may be entitled to compensation. Such cases are known as personal injury cases.

Since the abolition of legal aid for personal injury claims in 2000, conditional fee arrangements, commonly known as ‘no win, no fee’ arrangements are an increasingly popular way to pay the solicitor’s fees in these cases. No win, no fee arrangements can not be used to pay fees in family disputes or criminal cases.

According to such arrangements, you only pay the solicitor if your claim is successful. In many cases where such an arrangement is made, the solicitor will also charge a success fee in addition to basic fees. In most cases, if you win your case, the losing party will be ordered to pay these fees in full or part.

Further costs in court cases, such as court or expert witness fees are known as disbursements. Again, if you win your case, the losing party will normally pay such costs. Under a no win, no fee arrangement, if your case fails, you will not be responsible for your solicitor’s fees. However, you will have to pay costs including your disbursements as well as those of your opponents, along with the winning party’s solicitor’s fees. Your solicitor should be able to advise you about appropriate insurance to cover such eventualities.