It’s a big decision – so make it wisely.
Go Direct – dodge the middlemen!
Did you know that many of the websites you’ll trawl through when looking for compensation claims advice are not actually solicitor websites? The claims management companies and accident advice services have been around for years – they are basically companies that will appoint a lawyer for you when you contact them.
It used to be a lucrative business because these firms would charge lawyers a referral fee for passing the claim across. But this was banned last year, so now the companies are having to fund their profits elsewhere – such as by charging you!
We were never involved in referral fees and never paid other firms for work – we’re very proud that all of our clients come directly to us for our service and reputation.
So the main reasons to dodge them are that:
- They add no value to your claim. They are normally not actually solicitors so they probably cannot offer you comprehensive legal advice. They are just middlemen who appoint a lawyer for you
- Because referral fees were banned last year, many are now taking additional percentages from your payout to fund their business, or asking for hundreds of pounds
- They choose your solicitor – not you! Would you buy a house without viewing it first? Would you buy a car without a test drive?
Essentially they add no value to your claim and you can go directly to a law firm to cut them out. The worst part I suppose is the fact that they choose the lawyer that will represent you and they charge you for doing so! Madness! You can just go direct and get your own for free!
Ask about the service
Not all lawyers are expert injury lawyers and they may not offer the full and comprehensive service you could get access to with a specialist injury lawyer. You should find out if they:
- Fund private medical treatment and care for you
- Will assist with hire and repair needs in road accidents
- Make it easy to contact them and find out info for updates
- Guarantee the maximum compensation – find out how (if at all) they aim to achieve this
Price and Fees
Most law firms will take 25% from your payout due to the government reforms last year. If you do go through one of the middlemen claims companies mentioned above, they may take their own percentage, leaving overall deductions of something like 40%. That’s almost half your money gone!
Some may ask for upfront payments for fees and insurance. It can all get a bit messy to be honest!
So take the simple approach and ask for exactly what you need to pay and when. If it all gets confusing like the above example, you might be best moving on and continuing the search.
We think our approach is best – there are no hidden charges or additional fees. Everything is agreed at the start and we don’t have to take the full 25% from you which is what most law firms do. We base it all on the risk of the case and how quickly a client can cooperate with us.