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| Personal Injury Lawyers |
No win no fees arrangements, also called conditional fee arrangements, are common in the United Kingdom because of the fact that the government no longer provides legal assistance through Legal Aid for people who are pursuing personal injury claims. Therefore, someone who cannot afford an attorney up front can still get the benefit of a lawyer to help them with their claim.
Even if the claimant already has a friend at a local law firm or a professional relationship with certain lawyers, personal injury law and the process that you have to follow once you have made a claim is rather complex. The items for which you can make a claim for reimbursement can change with the laws as well, so attorneys who have a history of no wins in the personal injury law field may not be the best choice for your case.
You will have the opportunity to make the decision about what solicitor to choose at the first interview that you have with him or her. There is a common called the Client's Charter that the Law Society has produced which is often given to a client on the first meeting. It tells you what you can expect from your solicitor and the process, as well as what you should do if you have a complaint to make against him or her. In fact, solicitors are required to provide you with certain information at this first meeting, such as how they plan to handle your case, what steps they intend to take, how long they expect the case to take, whether or not they have any conflict of interests due to a relationship with another company or organisation that could affect your case and perhaps most importantly, information about the potential costs involved.
This is a rather common misconception about no win no fee lawyers in the U.K. Although the idea is that the claimant should have to pay no fees if they win the case, that does not mean that they will not have to pay a fee of some sort at some point. The whole reason that the lawyer is willing to take a case under this kind of agreement is because they are gambling that their client will be the winner of the judgement. If that happens, then the solicitor's fees are paid by the losing party's insurance company, and the claimant has to forfeit no winning compensation to their attorney.
However, should the claimant lose the case, then they will normally be held responsible for both their own attorney's fees and those of their opponent. This can be quite a financial burden for many people, who are often already so overtaxed by the costs that they have had to pay due to their injury. So in Great Britain there are also forms of insurance available that someone considering a no win no fee agreement might want to take out. The type and cost of the insurance depends on the merits of your case as well as at what point in the process you first contact the insurance company. But it could prove to be a useful way to alleviate some of the costs for the loser of the case. - Written 24/09/04*
Other Archived Articles:
> Accident Compensation Claims in the UK
> No Win No Fee Accident Compensation Solicitors
> Personal Injury Compensation Claims
> No Win No Fee Compensation Claims
> Personal Accident Compensation
> Personal Injury Claims Assistance
> Personal Injury Specialists
*Disclaimer: This article has been marked as "archived" because, although most of the information may still be relevant, the article was written more than two years ago which may mean that some information may be outdated. Although this site is updated as often as possible the information provided may not accurately reflect the current laws, procedures and/or facilities available to you. To ensure that you get the most up to date information make sure you consult an actual solicitor before pursuing any action. The articles on this site are for informational purposes only and are not intended to advise any particular action or inaction. Please read our terms of use for more information.
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