If you have sustained an injury in an accident, you are entitled to file an accident claim if the accident was the fault of the other party. Most people are aware of their legal right to file such a case, however, the high cost of obtaining the necessary legal help is what deters most people from filing accident claims even if they know the accident was not their fault.

This idea paved the way for the ‘No Win No Fee’ accident claim in order to give you (the claimants) a fair chance in obtaining compensation due to them even if they do not have the funds to pay the upfront fees required to hire a no win, no fee solicitor.

Under a No Win No Fee agreement you (the claimant) will only be expected to pay your solicitor’s fees if the no win, no fee compensation claim is decided in your favour. These agreed costs are usually a percentage of the compensation awarded and they are recovered directly from the compensation. The document that sets out the details of the arrangement is called the CFA or Conditional Fee Agreement. This is a formal, legally binding written agreement between you and your solicitor.

As of April 2013, solicitors are permitted to set a percentage of the damages you recover as their success fees. It is always a good idea to ask the solicitor about their payment terms and any other details that you need to know before you sign this agreement.

At Bonnar Accident Law, our fees are highly competitive, and we always advise contacting us directly to see how we compare before signing any legal document.

The actual results may vary from case to case, but the opposing party is typically responsible for most fees if you win, but you may have to pay your solicitors’ success fee as a percentage of your compensation. However, you will not have to pay any fees upfront.

Actual compensation is dependent upon the no win, no fee lawyer you are working with. It is important to note that no win, no fee claims, and 100% compensation are two separate concepts. You can find a solicitor that offers both no win, no fee and 100% compensation clauses, and you will not have to pay your solicitor fees or a portion of your compensation. However, changes in April 2013 to the law which governs no win, no fee claims mean that solicitors can no longer claim their success fee from the losing party, so the vast majority of injury lawyers no longer offer 100% compensation agreements.

As mentioned, if your solicitor does not offer a 100% compensation clause, you may be asked to sign a Conditional Fee Agreement (or CFA). A Conditional Fee Agreement can mean paying up to 30% of your compensation to your solicitor if you win. Although it is ideal to find a solicitor that offers a 100% compensation clause, a conditional fee agreement still means at least 75% compensation for your personal injury.