The Basics

No win no fee solicitors are available throughout the UK, including for people in Hindley, but the arrangement is not offered for every type of claim or by every local firm. If you are looking for a no win no fee solicitor in Hindley, get a free consultation with First4Lawyers, who can help match suitable enquiries with a solicitor for the relevant type of claim.

For many people, the main worry is not just whether a solicitor exists nearby, but what “no win no fee” would actually mean if the claim goes ahead. The key points to check are what fee may be deducted if the claim succeeds, whether any other costs are mentioned, and what protection may apply if the claim does not succeed.

Conditional Fee Agreements

No Win No Fee is a term in the UK commonly used to describe Conditional Fee Agreements (CFA) between lawyers and their clients. In general, a CFA allows a solicitor’s payment to be linked to the outcome of the claim, with a success fee payable if the claim succeeds. If the claim is unsuccessful, the client’s payment obligations to their own solicitor may be limited, but other costs can still matter, including disbursements and possible opponent costs. For this reason, “After the Event” (ATE) insurance is sometimes used to cover certain risks. Not all claim types allow or commonly use no win no fee arrangements, so the agreement wording is important.

Types of Cost Components 

There are several cost components to be aware of when considering the benefits and possible drawbacks of a No Win No Fee Agreement:

• 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 Hindley 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 in or around Hindley, try the Solicitors Regulation Authority website, which lists law firms and people regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. Alternatively, visit our partner First4Lawyers for a free no-obligation chat about whether a no win no fee solicitor may be available for the type of claim you want to discuss.