How Does No Win No Fee Work?

If you’re thinking about making a personal injury claim, one of the first questions you’ll probably ask is, “How much is this going to cost me?”

It’s a sensible question.

Most people have never needed a solicitor before. They worry about legal fees, hidden costs and ending up with a bill they weren’t expecting.

That’s exactly why No Win No Fee funding exists.

At Mooneerams Solicitors, we’ve been helping injured people for more than 20 years. During that time, we’ve found that, although every claim is different, clients usually want clear answers to the same questions. This guide answers the ones we’re asked most often.

What does No Win No Fee actually mean?

In simple terms, it means you don’t pay our legal fees at the start of your claim.

We only get paid if your claim succeeds, in accordance with the funding agreement you sign with us before we begin work.

If your claim is unsuccessful, you won’t have to pay our legal fees, provided you’ve complied with the terms of the agreement.

For most people, that removes the biggest obstacle to bringing a claim. They can concentrate on recovering from their injuries instead of worrying about how they’re going to fund legal proceedings.

Is every No Win No Fee agreement the same?

No, and this is where a lot of confusion comes from.

“No Win No Fee” isn’t the name of one particular legal agreement. It’s a simple way of describing a number of different funding arrangements.

Clients don’t need to become experts in legal funding, but they do deserve to understand how their own agreement works.

We’ll explain it in plain English before you sign anything, and we’ll answer any questions you have. We think that’s far better than burying important information in legal jargon.

What happens after I contact Mooneerams?

The first thing we’ll do is listen.

We’ll ask you what happened, discuss your injuries and consider whether you have reasonable prospects of bringing a successful claim.

If we believe you do, we’ll explain your funding options and send you the paperwork to read at home. We don’t expect anyone to sign documents they haven’t had the opportunity to understand properly.

Once you’re happy to go ahead, we’ll start investigating your claim.

What does investigating a claim involve?

Every case is different, but most involve gathering evidence to prove what happened and to show how your injuries have affected your life.

That could include obtaining your medical records, arranging an independent medical examination, speaking to witnesses, collecting photographs, reviewing accident reports and calculating any financial losses you’ve suffered

Much of this work happens behind the scenes

Clients are often surprised by the amount of preparation that goes into a successful claim.

A well-prepared case usually puts you in the strongest position when it’s time to negotiate compensation.

Will my case have to go to court?

Probably not.

That’s one of the biggest misconceptions about personal injury claims.

The vast majority of claims settle without a trial. In many cases, court proceedings are never needed at all.

If proceedings do become necessary, it doesn’t mean you’ve “lost” or that you’ll definitely end up giving evidence before a judge. Issuing proceedings is often simply the next step in moving the claim forward.

We’ll explain why we’re recommending that step before any decision is made.

What happens if my claim succeeds?

If your claim is successful, we’ll provide a detailed completion statement showing exactly how your compensation has been calculated.

It will also explain any deductions made under your funding agreement together with any VAT that is payable.

We know clients want to understand where every pound has gone, so we’ll always answer any questions before your claim is concluded.

What happens if my claim doesn’t succeed?

Provided you’ve complied with the terms of your agreement, you won’t have to pay our legal fees.

Before your case reaches the stage where court proceedings might be issued, we’ll also explain whether any insurance is recommended to protect you against certain costs that can sometimes arise during litigation.

We believe it’s important that there are no surprises.

If there are risks, we’ll explain them honestly. If there are choices to be made, we’ll explain those too.

Why do people choose Mooneerams?

There are plenty of firms offering No Win No Fee services.

What makes one firm different from another isn’t the phrase “No Win No Fee”. It’s the people behind it.

Personal injury law is all we do.

We act only for injured people. We don’t act for insurance companies, so our focus is entirely on recovering the compensation our clients deserve.

We also believe in speaking plainly. If we think your claim has good prospects, we’ll tell you. If we think there are difficulties, we’ll tell you that as well.

Clients often tell us they appreciated having straightforward advice rather than being given unrealistic expectations.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I claim without paying anything upfront?

Yes.

Our No Win No Fee funding means you don’t pay our legal fees before your claim begins.

How long will my claim take?

There’s no single answer because every claim is different.

A relatively straightforward road traffic accident claim may settle quite quickly. A serious injury claim, particularly where medical evidence is still being gathered, can take considerably longer.

One thing we won’t do is recommend settling too early before the medical evidence is complete. Accepting an offer is usually final, so it’s important to understand the long-term effects of your injuries first.

Talk to us

If you’ve been injured because of someone else’s negligence and you’d like to know whether you have a claim, we’d be happy to help.

We’ll give you straightforward advice, explain how our No Win No Fee funding works and answer your questions in plain English.

There is no obligation to instruct us after that initial conversation. Sometimes people simply want to understand their options before deciding what to do next.

If that’s where you are now, we’re always happy to help. Call us on 029 2199 1927 for an obligation-free discussion with one of the Mooneerams team or fill in the form in the right-hand margin and click ‘Start Your Claim’.