No Win No Fee Solicitors | Prestatyn

The Basics

No win no fee solicitors are available to people in Prestatyn and across Denbighshire, but not every local firm offers this type of funding, and those that do may only use it for certain kinds of claim. If you are looking for no win no fee solicitors in Prestatyn, it can help to start by checking whether your situation is the kind of claim a solicitor is prepared to assess under this arrangement. You can get a free consultation with First4Lawyers, who can look at the basics and help identify a solicitor who may offer a no win no fee agreement for the relevant type of case.

Conditional Fee Agreements

No Win No Fee is a term commonly used in the UK for Conditional Fee Agreements (CFAs) between solicitors and clients. In simple terms, the solicitor agrees that their basic legal charges are only payable in certain circumstances, usually if the claim succeeds, and a success fee may then be deducted from compensation. That does not mean every possible cost disappears. Disbursements, such as medical reports or court fees, and insurance arrangements may still need to be understood before signing. If a claim is unsuccessful, the position usually depends on the agreement, any After the Event (ATE) insurance, and the type of case. Not all legal matters can use no win no fee funding, and the details should be checked carefully before relying on the phrase.

Types of Cost Components 

There are several cost components to be aware of when comparing the benefits, risks and practical wording 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 Prestatyn 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 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 able to help with a Prestatyn claim, you can also visit our partner First4Lawyers for a free no-obligation chat.