No Win No Fee Solicitors.

A No Win No Fee Claim is a way to pursue a personal injury claim without taking on the financial risk of paying legal fees upfront. Formally known as a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA), it enables you to access expert legal representation without worrying about the costs involved if the claim is not successful.

The general process is as follows:

1. Initial assessment: We start with a free, no-obligation conversation to evaluate the strength of your case. If we believe your claim has reasonable prospects of success, we’ll offer to take it on under a No Win No Fee agreement.
2. Insurance arrangements: In most cases, we will arrange for an After the Event (ATE) insurance policy. This protects you from the risk of having to pay your opponent’s legal costs or disbursements if the claim is unsuccessful.
3. Building your case: Once instructed, we will begin gathering medical evidence, witness statements, accident reports and other relevant materials to support your case. This is often the most detailed part of the process.
4. Negotiation or litigation: We will work to secure a fair settlement from the responsible party’s insurer. If a satisfactory outcome isn’t reached through negotiation, we will prepare your case for court proceedings.
5. Outcome and payment: If you win, the other party will pay most of your legal costs. A success fee will be deducted from your compensation, along with any necessary expenses that were not covered by your opponent. If you lose, you pay nothing towards our fees, provided you have adhered to the agreement and insurance terms.

Throughout, we will guide you with care, professionalism, and complete transparency about costs and next steps.

The expert personal injury team at Lanyon Bowdler have handled all types of personal injury cases. We will work with you and assess your situation carefully, to ensure you receive the best initial advice and are able to secure the maximum compensation for your injury and the inconvenience you may have suffered and may encounter in the future.

Our team has experience in handling all kinds of injury claim, but we are nationally recognised for our experience in the following areas:

• Accidents at Work
• Asbestos Exposure
• Brain Injuries
• Fatal Accidents
• Military Injury Claims
• Road Traffic Accidents
• Slips & Trips
• Spinal Injuries

If you have suffered as a result of a personal injury, get in touch with our expert No Win No Fee lawyers and we can begin assessing your case today.

If your No Win No Fee claim is successful, your opponent (usually an insurer) will pay the majority of your legal costs. However, certain deductions may apply to your compensation:

• Success Fee: This is the solicitor’s reward for taking on the financial risk of the claim. It is capped by law at a maximum of 25% of your damages for pain, suffering, and loss of amenity (general damages) and past financial losses. It does not apply to future care costs or future losses.
• ATE Insurance Premium: If we’ve arranged ATE cover for you, the cost of the premium is usually only payable if the claim is successful and is deducted from your compensation.
• Disbursements Not Recovered: Occasionally, there may be small unrecovered expenses which we will explain in advance.

If your compensation is £20,000 and your success fee is 20%, you would receive £16,000 after a £4,000 deduction. If there is also an ATE premium of £300, that would reduce your final award to £15,700. All figures would be fully explained and agreed in advance.

We are committed to complete transparency. You will never be surprised by deductions and will be informed at each stage how much you can expect to receive.

A success fee is the amount you will be charged by the solicitor for a CFA compliant compensation claim. This covers your legal professional for their costs/risk of taking on a case in which, if unsuccessful, they will not be paid for their time and effort.

It is expressed as a percentage of your awarded compensation, and it will always be agreed ahead of your claim process. While this may not be the only charge you could be liable for, it will usually represent the majority of costs and will allow you to keep most of your compensation.

The Ministry Of Justice restricts the percentage of the success fee to 25% of the total compensation awarded for personal injury claims, so you will always hold on to the majority of the value of your claim.

Your opponent, or their insurer, will not be liable to pay your success fee. It will be deducted from the compensation you receive for pain, suffering, loss of amenity and monetary damages. Any compensation you receive for future loss of earnings will not be considered when calculating your success fee.

We will always discuss your circumstances clearly to ensure a No Win No Fee is the best option for your case. Agreeing on the approach we take on your claim is a priority for us, and we will make sure you fully understand our cost structure before proceeding.

Many clients understandably ask about legal costs and how insurance fits into a No Win No Fee claim. Here’s how it works:

• After the Event (ATE) Insurance: This is a policy taken out after the accident has occurred, and it covers the risk of having to pay your opponent’s costs or certain expenses if the claim is unsuccessful. ATE is usually only payable if the claim succeeds, and in that case, it is deducted from your compensation. We will arrange this on your behalf if needed.
• Before the Event (BTE) Insurance: You may already have legal expenses insurance as part of a car, home, or travel insurance policy. If that’s the case, and the cover applies to your type of injury, we will advise you on whether that might be a better route for funding your claim.
• Disbursements: These are the expenses incurred as your case progresses, such as fees for medical reports, court issue fees, and expert evidence. Where possible, these are recovered from the other party if you win. If you lose, ATE insurance usually protects you from paying them out of pocket.

We will explain all cost-related matters in detail before you sign any agreement, and you will always have an opportunity to ask questions or seek clarification.

One of the greatest benefits of a No Win No Fee agreement is the protection it provides if your claim is unsuccessful.

In most cases, you will not have to pay any legal fees or disbursements if your claim does not succeed. This means that even if your claim doesn’t result in compensation, you won’t be left with a legal bill.

There are exceptions to this, for example, if you have acted dishonestly, deliberately misled your solicitor, or failed to follow advice. In those situations, cost consequences could arise. However, these cases are rare, and we will explain your responsibilities clearly at the outset.

ATE insurance helps protect you from any risk of paying your opponent’s costs too, making it a vital part of the CFA arrangement.

In the unfortunate event of your claim being unsuccessful, it’s likely you will have to pay some of the other party’s costs. A CFA is not going to cover you against these costs, and, although other types of protection exist, you may still need to consider being insured against having to pay your opponent’s fee and your own disbursements.

We will always be clear with you and offer frank opinions if we feel your claim is likely to prove unsuccessful.

In conjunction with seeking the help of a solicitor who will take your case on a No Win No Fee claim basis, you may be advised to be protected against additional costs by an ‘after the event’ (ATE) insurance policy. This will give you the best amount of protection against any additional costs you may incur – even if you do not need to pay your solicitor.

We are able to arrange an ATE policy for you, after having agreed on what is the most suitable option for your compensation claim. The cost of the policy will only need to be paid at the end of the claim process, and only if it is successful. Should your case be unsuccessful, the cost of the insurance cover is generally self-insured, and you will not be liable for any charges related to it.

Yes, you can change solicitors during a No Win No Fee claim, but it’s important to understand how it works.

You have a right to switch legal representation if you are unhappy or feel your case is not being handled effectively. However, your old firm may charge fees, or retain entitlement to recover costs after you switch. A new firm must also be willing to take over the case and honour the existing agreement, or agree new terms with you.

At Lanyon Bowdler, we are happy to review your case if you are considering switching, and we handle these situations with discretion and professionalism. Your case should always be in the hands of someone you trust.

A CFA will not generally cover you from any monetary compensation you may need to pay to your opponent in the event you lose your claim.

You may also be liable to pay for other costs, such as court fees or any balance owed to experts – such as doctors providing medical reports and collecting medical records, and evidence on a compensation claim. These are known as “disbursements”.

In compensation claims you will generally have some degree of protection against costs you may need to pay to your opponent. The current legislation around such claims involves a system known as ‘Qualified One Way Costs Shifting’ (QOCS). This will protect you from having to cover your opponent’s costs, but your own disbursements will still apply.

Disbursements can easily add up throughout a personal injury claim, and some circumstances may keep you from fully utilising the benefits of QOCS. This could include a situation in which you receive a Part 36 Offer as part of a formal settlement offer, but reject it and then proceed not to beat that offer in the case’s outcome.

We generally advise our claimants to obtain after the event (ATE) or other suitable legal protection insurance. Lanyon Bowdler’s team can arrange this for you, ensuring you receive the best possible protection against unforeseen costs.

There are many factors that may influence the amount you can claim as part of your No Win No Fee injury claim. Aspects that the court will consider in calculation of the amount of compensation you’re awarded include:

• The extent and gravity of your injuries
• Costs associated with treatments
• The degree and time frame of recovery
• Costs of modifications to your home or vehicle
• Loss of past and future earnings

Our expert solicitors will always discuss your case in clear terms and conclude the general value of your compensation before starting your claim. How much you could be awarded and our costs are always going to be explained clearly with you, and agreed upon before continuing your claims process.

LASPO stands for the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012. It introduced significant reforms to how personal injury claims are funded, particularly around:

• The recoverability of success fees and ATE insurance premiums from the losing party.
• The introduction of caps on success fees (e.g. 25%).
• Changes to the availability of legal aid in certain areas of law.

For you as a claimant, this means that while No Win No Fee agreements are still widely used, the success fee is now deducted from your compensation, rather than paid by the defendant.

LASPO was designed to reduce the cost of civil litigation, but it also placed greater emphasis on transparency and client protection. At Lanyon Bowdler, we have adapted our approach to ensure clients still receive the maximum possible benefit from their claim, while keeping risks to a minimum.

The Jackson Reforms refer to a wide-ranging review of civil litigation costs carried out by Lord Justice Jackson, which ultimately led to legislative changes such as LASPO.

Key impacts include:

• Limiting the recoverability of legal fees and ATE premiums.
• Capping success fees in No Win No Fee agreements.
• Encouraging greater efficiency and proportionality in legal costs.
• Promoting settlement and early resolution of claims.

These reforms changed the way personal injury claims are funded, making transparency and careful case assessment more important than ever. We understand this evolving legal landscape and are here to guide you through it with clarity and confidence.

The time it can take for your compensation claim to reach a settlement can vary greatly, depending on the extent of your injuries and recovery time. Injuries which take six months or less to recover from can usually be awarded compensation within eight months of the date of the injury or accident.

Some cases, such as those involving severe injuries or permanently debilitating injuries, may be subject to much longer legal processes, and therefore, take longer to reach a settlement. There are, however, options for those involved in these claims to obtain partial compensation before a final settlement is reached, such as interim payments.

While No Win No Fee agreements are available for many types of personal injury claims, there are some situations where it might not be suitable or available:

• If a case appears to have limited prospects of success, we may advise that alternative funding arrangements be considered instead.
• In some complex cases, especially those involving multiple parties or unclear responsibility, the risks may be too high to justify this form of funding.
• Certain types of claims, such as those that are very low value or outside limitation periods, may fall outside the usual scope of No Win No Fee.
• If you already have appropriate legal expenses insurance (e.g. through a motor or home policy), we may advise using that instead of a CFA.

Even where a CFA is not appropriate, we will always explore other options with you, and advise on the safest and most cost-effective way to proceed.

Most compensation cases are settled out of court, many when legal proceedings had commenced already.

We understand that bringing your case to a court can be stressful. We will always aim to settle your claim outside of court if it is possible to secure you the compensation you deserve.

Unfortunately, some cases involving an alleged breach of duty of care will require court proceedings in order to reach a fair settlement. You can be assured of the high standard of our legal representation, whether in or out of court.

Yes, it is often possible to make a No Win No Fee claim if you have suffered a personal injury while abroad, including holiday accidents, road traffic accidents, or accidents at work overseas.

However, these claims can be more complex due to differences in foreign legal systems, jurisdictional issues, and time limits.

Additionally, funding arrangements may vary depending on whether the injury occurred in Europe, the defendant is based in the UK, and whether foreign law applies.

Although No Win No Fee is the most common way of funding personal injury claims, it’s not the only option. Alternatives include:

• Before the Event (BTE) Insurance: This may already be included in your existing motor, home, or travel insurance. We’ll check this with you at the start.
• Private funding: This involves paying legal fees out of your own pocket, but it is rarely recommended unless there is a specific advantage.
• Legal Aid: This is generally not available for personal injury cases, except in rare circumstances such as clinical negligence involving children.
• Trade Union representation: If you are a member of a union, they may offer legal assistance as part of your membership benefits.

We will always discuss your options in full before you proceed, ensuring you have a clear and confident understanding of the funding arrangement that best suits your situation.