Mrs Anita Claim: What is all this “No Win, No Fee” stuff that I keep hearing about on the telly?
It is exactly what it says. Basically, if your solicitor offers to run your claim under a “No win, no fee” agreement then, if they are unsuccessful with your claim they won’t charge you for the hours that they have spent in handling your claim.
Therefore they will in effect will have worked handled your case for free. Is there a greater motivation for them to win your claim than knowing that they will not be paid if they lose?
However, it should be noted that some firms may charge for particular expenses paid in running the claim, such as the cost of police or medical reports.
Mrs Anita Claim: I see the catch here; you are going to take your fees out of my compensation if I win my claim.
Unfortunately, some firms may take a cut of your compensation and they are entitled to do so, but not at Your Lawyers. As part of our agreement, we look to limit our fees to a maximum of what we are able to recover from the other side, ensuring you don’t pay anything in the running of your claim.
Mrs Anita Claim: Erm…what about the other side if my claim isn’t successful? Will I have to pay their costs?
It may be that if your claim is unsuccessful then you will have to pay the costs of the other side’s fees in running the claim. However you shouldn’t have to worry. If you have a motor or home insurance policy then it is likely that you have legal expenses insurance already and you may be covered for the cost of the other side’s fees by this policy. If not, then your solicitor should be able to arrange after the event insurance to cover you against the risk of having to pay these fees.
Mrs Anita Claim: So let me get this straight. Am I right in thinking that with Your Lawyers I don’t have to pay anything towards running my claim, you will look to recover your fees from the other side, I will be protected from having to pay the other side’s costs AND they won’t take anything from my compensation?
That’s right. We will ensure that you get 100% of the compensation that you are entitled to.
Mrs Anita Claim: That sounds fantastic but I’m still a bit confused…
If you are thinking about making a claim following an accident but are still slightly confused as to how this all works then call us and speak to one of our claims advisors. We aim to keep the legal jargon to a minimum so that you know exactly where you stand all the way through your claim.
