The Basics

If you are looking for no win no fee solicitors in Hale, it can help to compare how firms explain eligibility, fees and first contact options before you start a claim. Hale sits close to Altrincham, Bowdon and Timperley, so some people also compare solicitors across the wider Trafford and south Manchester area, especially if they are open to phone or online contact as well as a local office. To find a no-win-no-fee solicitor serving Hale, get a free consultation with First4Lawyers, who can help identify whether a suitable no-win-no-fee agreement may be available for your type of case.

For many people in Hale, the phrase “no win no fee” sounds reassuring but still raises practical questions: which types of claim a firm will take on, what happens if the claim is unsuccessful, and what may be deducted from compensation if it succeeds. The answers depend on the written agreement, so it is worth checking the fee wording, asking how the first conversation is handled, and making sure any unclear terms are explained before you decide whether to go ahead.

Conditional Fee Agreements

No Win No Fee is a term in the UK commonly used to describe Conditional Fee Agreements (CFAs) between lawyers and their clients. In broad terms, a CFA links part of the solicitor’s payment to the outcome of the claim. The exact fee arrangement, any success fee, and any other costs should be set out in writing before work begins. If a Hale claim is handled by a firm based elsewhere in Greater Manchester or nationally, the same point applies: check how communication will work, whether meetings are needed, and what you may still have to pay if the claim does not succeed.

Types of Cost Components 

When comparing no win no fee solicitors serving Hale, there are several cost components to be aware of before deciding whether an agreement feels suitable:

• Basic Charges or Standard Fee – Fees associated with legal work done on behalf of a client.  Typically based on the number of hours spent and hourly rates associated with the staff involved with case. Different lawyers in Hale will have different fees for their day-to-day work, and these can vary between practices, and between qualified solicitors within a practice.
• Disbursements – Payment for expenses made on behalf of the client including but not limited to court fees, experts’ fees, accident report fees and travelling expenses.
• Success Fee or “Uplift” To compensate for the cost of lost cases, lawyers typically are allowed to add a success fee or ”Uplift” in the CFA.   This is usually a percentage (not more than 100%) of a lawyer’s basic charges that is added to a client’s bill for which they will seek to recover from the other party if they win the claim.
• After the Event (“ATE”) Insurance Premium – Cost of Insurance as part of a no win no fee agreement to indemnify the costs and disbursements of the lawsuit.  Usually purchased at or after the start of the litigation process.

Advantages and Disadvantages

Advantages

• Because the cost to the client is linked to the outcome of the case.  For an unsuccessful case, there is the possibility that the client pays little or no cost.
• Required disclosure of a CFA to the other party may encourage earlier settlement as the other party’s cost will increase in line with the level of the success fee.
• Any damages awarded to the client will not be eaten up by the success fee, as the success fee will in most cases be payable by the opponent.

Disadvantages

• There is no privilege, nor privacy attached to the funding arrangement in place. The existence of the CFA must be disclosed to the other party at the outset of the litigation and the risk assessment has to be disclosed to the court and if necessary to the other party when costs are assessed.
• A CFA gives the lawyer a financial interest in the litigation and because of this they are inclined to take control of the strategy and resolution of the litigation.
• Unless the client buys ATE to cover the winning party’s costs, the client is still at risk to pay those costs.

To search for a specific solicitor, try the Solicitors Regulation Authority website, which lists all the law firms and people regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. If you are mainly trying to understand whether a no win no fee solicitor may be available for a Hale-based claim, it can also help to compare nearby options such as Altrincham, Timperley and Sale, alongside firms that work remotely. You can also visit our partner First4Lawyers for a free no-obligation chat.