Is No win No fee legal in Northern Ireland?
The No win, No fee system is illegal in Northern Ireland and does not apply. The governing body for all solicitors in Northern Ireland is The Law Society of Northern Ireland and they do not permit no win no fee claims. No solicitor in Northern Ireland can offer you a no win no fee arrangement without potentially breaking the law.
How does No Win, No Fee work?
A no win, no fee agreement, also known as a conditional fee arrangement, allows you to make a compensation claim, with no financial risk and without paying any solicitors’ fees upfront. You only ever pay anything if your no win no fee claim is successful.
Targeting NI clients
Many large claims companies in mainland UK are wrongly targeting the NI public. The UK government is actually considering getting rid of the no-win, no-fee system for claims cases (which only operates in England and Wales) case altogether. The Legal Ombudsman published a report that outlines the reasons behind this view.
What percentage do solicitors take for no win no fee?
In England and Wales, solicitors will charge for what is known as a success fee. This will typically be a certain percentage of the compensation. In most No Win, No Fee cases, the solicitor will take 25%.
Controversial
Although the name ‘No win, No fee’ sounds attractive, no win no fee is actually rather controversial. These companies cannot pursue the case through to the point of going to court. Anyone in Northern Ireland who brings a claim under a no win, no fee agreement should be wary of the claims company wanting to settle out of court as this could deny you the chance to win the full compensation amount you are entitled to.
Free Review of your case
At Wilson Nesbitt we offer a free, initial review of your case with one of our expert solicitors, and they will be able to tell you straight away whether it’s worth your time and effort pursuing.
Process & Payment Options
We can tell about the process involved, the timeline to expect and most importantly transparency and clarity on our payment options available.
Scope of Services
You can view our full scope of services here; Personal Injury & Claims (wilson-nesbitt.com)
Get in touch
If you suffered from an injury or incident that was not your fault in the last three years, contact Senior Solicitor Hannah Simpson & our expert team. We will guide you towards the best result.
Your first consultation is free of charge, confidential and without obligation– and we’ll tell you straight away if you have a strong case worth pursuing.
0800 840 9289 | make an email enquiry here.