Everything You Need To Know About No Win No Fee Solicitors

No Win No Fee solicitors help claimants seek compensation without paying upfront solicitors’ fees. To do so, they may offer their services through a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA) or other arrangement. Instead of paying for the solicitors work upfront, when you make a compensation claim under a CFA, you will be charged a success fee. If your claim is not successful, you will not be charged this fee.

Key Points

  • Such claims are typically made under The Conditional Fee Agreements Order 2013, however, there are other pieces of legislation for a solicitor to provide their services on a No Win No Fee basis.
  • The Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (LAPSO) is perceived as a fairer system.
  • After-The-Event (ATE) insurance policies can protect you from paying certain legal costs.
  • Success fees are charged as a legally limited percentage of your compensation. This fee is negotiated in advance and is clearly set out in your CFA.
  • The No Win No Fee solicitors on our panel have decades of collective experience helping claimants secure the compensation payouts they deserve.

From accidents at work, to those on the road or in public spaces, data breaches, medical negligence and criminal injury, Public Interest Lawyers could help with a wide range of claims. To find out if one of the solicitors from our panel could help with your claim, speak to an advisor now:

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What Is Meant By A No Win No Fee Solicitor?

A No Win No Fee solicitor will having a legally-binding arrangement (such as the Conditional Fee Agreement) in place to provide their services without charging you upfront or ongoing solicitors’ fees. This allows you to pursue a compensation claim with any solicitor fees payable being contingent on the outcome of the claim, not the solicitors effort.

However, if your claim is successful, your solicitor will collect a ‘success fee’ from your compensation. This is taken as a percentage and the law places a limit on it as well. This legal limit ensures that you will keep the majority of your compensation. Additionally, your solicitor will discuss this with you when they agree to support your claim.

For example, under CFA’s, the agreement contains details of what percentage may be charged and the conditions under which it would be done.

This model of funding is commonly used in compensation claims for personal injury, medical negligence, criminal injury and data breaches. This ensures that potential claimants can access legal help, without worrying about costs. It is important to note that No Win No Fee does not mean that there is no cost. If you win you may still need to pay costs.

Please contact our advisors  to learn more about how No Win No Fee solicitors could help you. They can also assess whether you have good grounds to seek compensation and if you do, they can connect you to one of the solicitors from our panel.

An injured man rests on a sofa, using a laptop to search for solicitors.

How Do No Win No Fee Claims Work?

No Win No Fee claims work by enabling claimants to work with a specialist solicitor without meeting upfront fees. This structure ensures that accessing legal support is not contingent on your ability to pay, rather it is based on the viability of your case.

Once you have signed the agreement your solicitor will begin work on your case. This may involve investigating the claim, gathering evidence and communicating with other parties, such as the defendant , their insurer and their solicitor. If the other party accepts liability, your solicitor will negotiate a settlement with them. If negotiations fail, they may have to prepare your case to go to court.

Your solicitor may recommend that you take out an After The Event (ATE) insurance policy. These policies cover both your and the defendant’s legal costs in the case that a claim is unsuccessful.

If you have been injured in an accident which was not your fault, you can contact an advisor to explore your options. Talk to us today to find out whether one of the No Win No Fee solicitors from our panel could help you.

An injured man walks using crutches.

What Are The Benefits Of Working With A Solicitor?

The benefits of working with a solicitor on a No Win No Fee basis include access to clear legal guidance and practical support throughout the process. Working with a solicitor can ensure that you fully understand your rights, file your claim correctly and within any applicable time limit and adhere to the claims process.

Key benefits of working with a solicitor may include,

  • An assessment of your claims viability and a clear explanation of the process.
  • Help understanding any legal or other technical jargon.
  • Assistance in ensuring your claim is filed on time.
  • Help collecting evidence.
  • An explanation of how compensation payouts are calculated and an assessment of your case.

An advisor can help to explain these and further benefits of working with one of the No Win No Fee solicitors on our panel.

Is There An Eligibility Criteria For No Win No Fee Claims?

Yes, there is an eligibility criteria which No Win No Fee claims must meet. Personal injury claims must meet three basic eligibility criteria. These are,

  1. That the defendant had a duty of care towards you. Employers, road users, and those controlling public spaces may all have a duty of care towards you.
  2. They breached this duty of care, such as by failing to observe the Highway Code, or not adhering to other relevant legislation.
  3. This failure led to you being injured in an accident.

Duty of care means that one party has to take reasonable care to avoid causing unreasonable risk of harm or injury to another party. It is a legal obligation. Different laws set this duty in different situations that you may encounter in daily life.

No Win No Fee claims must also be submitted before the relevant time limit (set by the Limitation Act 1980) expires. You may be able to claim under a No Win No Fee agreement if your case meets these criteria. Please get in touch to find out how one of the No Win No Fee personal injury solicitors from our panel could help you.

What Accidents Can A No Win No Fee Solicitor Help Me With?

No Win No Fee solicitors could help you with accidents such as those in public places, at work or on the road.  Solicitors could help you claim compensation in the event of the following scenarios,

Generally, the time limit to start a personal injury claim is 3 years from the date of the accident. However, the Limitation Act does allow for exceptions where an injured party is unable to manage the claim themselves.

Please get in contact with our advisory team to understand how one of the No Win No Fee solicitors from our panel could help you.

A close up image of a sprained wrist which has been bandaged.

Can A Solicitor Support A Medical Negligence Claim On A No Win No Fee Basis?

Yes, a solicitor can take on a medical negligence claim on a No Win No Fee basis. As with personal injury claims, you must have evidence that proves a breach in a duty of care owed to you caused you to suffer harm that otherwise would have been avoided.

The duty of care in a medical setting is automatically owed to you by everyone involved in your treatment. Medical professionals must provide care which meets minimum professional standards.

Some harm is expected in medical settings. For example, the side effects of chemotherapy can be considered harmful, but the chemotherapy treats your cancer. Therefore, you will only have a valid medical negligence claim is the harm suffered was avoidable. For example, your GP prescribed an anti-biotic that you have a known allergy to, causing a skin rash, kidney and digestive system damage.

As with personal injury claims, there is a general time limit of 3 years to start the claims process. However, this 3 years can start from the date of the incident or the date of knowledge (the date on which you realised, or would have been expected to realise that negligence occurred). Again, there are exceptions to this limitation period if the harmed party cannot manage a claim themselves.

Our medical negligence claims guide can help you. Alternatively, you can speak to one of our advisors about medical negligence compensation and how a solicitor can help you claim.

How Do No Win No Fee Data Breach Claims Work?

Making a data breach claim with a No Win No Fee solicitor works in the same way as a personal injury or medical negligence claim. You will still have to sign an agreement for your solicitor to provide a No Win No Fee service and have to pay a success fee if you are awarded compensation. However, the eligibility criteria for such claims is different.

The processing of personal data is protected by 2 laws in the UK: the Data Protection Act 2018 and The UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR). If the organisation responsible for processing your personal data (as defined in the UK GDPR – Article 4) fails to comply with these laws and a breach of your personal data occurs and causes you emotional distress and/or financial loss, you could claim compensation for these hardships.

Please read our data breach compensation claims guide for more information. Or, if your personal data has been breached, you can speak to one of our advisors to find out if you have a valid claim.

What About Making A Criminal Injury Claim?

One of the No Win No Fee solicitors from our panel can also help with criminal injury claims. These types of claims may be made through the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA). This is a government agency that awards compensation to victims of violent crimes in Great Britain where all other avenues of claiming (such as against the perpetrator or a vicariously liable party) are not open to them.

The criteria, evidence needed and time limits when claiming through the CICA are different to a personal injury claim. Additionally, compensation is calculated in a different manner. Please see our criminal injuries compensation claims guide for further help and advice on claiming through the CICA.

What Happens If You Lose A No Win No Fee Case?

If you lose a No Win No Fee claim, you will not be charged solicitors fees. However, whilst you will not be charged for the solicitors work itself, you may still be liable for other legal costs. For example this may include the cost of expert medical reports or court fees. These costs are generally covered by the ATE insurance policy your solicitor would have taken out when agreeing to support your claim.

Pursuing a claim under a No Win No Fee arrangement means you can do so without worrying about costs if your claim isn’t successful. This is because the purpose of such agreements is to protect claimants from upfront or ongoing solicitors’ fees or such fees in the event that the claim fails with the ATE policy covering other associated costs.

Please speak to one of our advisors who can address any worries you have about working with a No Win No Fee solicitor. Our advisors are available around the clock.

How Much Do I Pay A No Win No Fee Solicitor If Successful?

How much you pay if your No Win No Fee claim is successful will be set out in detail in the legal agreement between you and your solicitor. It should contain a breakdown of the criteria under which a claim is considered to be successful, what you will pay and how such payment may be made.

Under a Conditional Fee Agreement, the success fee is calculated as a set percentage of your compensation settlement. The fee is legally capped at a maximum of 25%. However, personal injury lawyers do not always charge this percentage and you may be charged a lower amount if the solicitor believes you have a high probability of success. Furthermore, how much you may pay could depend on the complexity of your case. Your solicitor should fully and clearly explain their fee structure prior to your signing the CFA.

You will only pay the success fee if you win, with the fee being deducted directly from your compensation by the solicitor. Success fees are legally regulated, ensuring that they are fair and transparent.

Please contact an advisor for an explanation of funding options and to find out what one of the No Win No Fee solicitors on our panel may take out of your compensation as this success fee.

Why Choose Our Panel Of No Win No Fee Solicitors

By choosing our panel of No Win No Fee solicitors you can access expert legal support without upfront or ongoing solicitors’ fees. An expert solicitor can explain how to claim compensation, help you build your case, collect evidence and negotiate with the defendant.

In addition to the benefits already discussed in this guide, a solicitor from our panel could help you by,

  • Providing a free initial assessment of your claim as well as legal advice.
  • Communicating with other parties to the claim, such as insurance providers, courts, and the defendant.
  • Ensuring an appropriate ATE policy is in place to ensure that you are covered in any event.
  • Help organising and accessing therapeutic services, such as physiotherapy, psychotherapy or other rehabilitation services.
  • Organising an independent medical assessment of your harm or injuries.
  • Helping you secure an interim payment, if eligible and appropriate.
  • Preparing your case to go to court, if necessary.

Your solicitor will keep you fully up to date throughout the claims process, informing you of any steps you need to take.

Get In Touch With Our Advisors

Get in touch with our advisors today using the channels below. One of our advisors can assess your eligibly and if it seems like you have good grounds to seek compensation, they can connect you to our panel.

A No Win No Fee solicitor works on a claim.

More Information

Find more information on No Win No Fee claims in these guides and resources.

External references.

Thank you for reading our guide to working with No Win No Fee solicitors. For more help with your compensation claim, please contact us today.