Canterbury-Bankstown · No win, no fee explained

Looking for a no win, no fee lawyer in Condell Park?

Many motor accident lawyers offer costs terms like this. The details differ, so compare them before you sign.

The phrase sounds simple, but the arrangement behind it can vary a lot. Agreements treat disbursements such as expert reports in different ways, and success can be defined in different ways too. If you live in or near Condell Park, read any costs agreement before you sign and ask about anything unclear. Our free claim check can tell you whether you need a lawyer, and it comes with no obligation.

Postcode: 2200

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Condell Park: comparing costs terms from home

If you were hurt on the Hume Highway or Canterbury Road, ask for an estimate of total costs as well as the fee basis. An estimate helps you check any later bill against what you agreed. In many homes around Condell Park, people speak Arabic. A costs agreement is a legal document, so read it in a language you're comfortable with. For a motor accident claim, CTP Assist (1300 656 919) can arrange an interpreter. Legal costs in NSW CTP claims are regulated the same way across the state, whether you're under the City of Canterbury-Bankstown or anywhere else. What differs between lawyers is how their own costs terms are written, so compare those.

From Condell Park, the Sydney CBD is roughly 20 km away. That doesn't limit whose costs terms you can compare. Written terms can be emailed, lawyers can explain them by phone or video, and our claim check is by phone and online.

Region
Canterbury-Bankstown
Postcode
2200
Community languages
Arabic
Local government area
City of Canterbury-Bankstown
From the Sydney CBD
~20 km
An older man and a younger woman working through something together on a laptop at home

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The phrase, explained plainly

Many motor accident lawyers offer terms described as no win, no fee. It's a way of structuring fees so that more of the risk of an unsuccessful claim sits with the lawyer. It doesn't mean legal help is free, and it doesn't mean every cost disappears. Think of the phrase as the heading on a set of terms, then read the terms underneath it.

Regulated costs and what they mean for you

The CTP scheme caps legal costs by regulation, for statutory benefits work and for damages claims alike. That changes the no win, no fee conversation. Instead of asking only what you'd pay if you lose, ask how the lawyer's fees relate to the regulated maximums, and whether any part of the costs would come out of your compensation. The caps are indexed, so no fixed figure is quoted here.

Some help is free to use. SIRA funds a CTP Legal Advisory Service for statutory benefits questions on accidents from 1 December 2017, reached through CTP Assist on 1300 656 919. It doesn't cover damages claims, older-scheme claims or matters already at internal review or the Personal Injury Commission. Workers compensation is a separate scheme again: in a workers compensation dispute, legal costs may be funded through the Independent Review Office's ILARS program if a grant is approved, and that program doesn't cover CTP claims.

Read next:What does a CTP lawyer cost?

Six questions worth asking about costs

A no win, no fee arrangement is only as clear as its written terms. These questions help you find out what you'd pay in each outcome. Ask them of any lawyer, and get the answers in writing.

  • Can I have an estimate of total legal costs, in writing?
  • How are your professional fees worked out if the claim succeeds?
  • What happens to costs if I end the agreement before the claim finishes?
  • How do the CTP costs rules in the Regulation limit what you can charge?
  • Will you tell me in writing if that estimate changes?
  • What comes out of my compensation at the end, and in what order?

General information, not legal advice. Costs terms differ between lawyers, and legal costs in CTP claims are regulated. Rely on the written terms you're given.

Put the arrangement on paper

Whatever a lawyer tells you about no win, no fee, the written terms are what count. Look for a clear statement of what happens to costs in each outcome, how success is defined, and whether disbursements are paid as you go, at the end, or only if the claim succeeds. Keep a copy, and note the date you received it.

Keep a copy

Keep the signed agreement and every costs update with your claim papers. If a bill arrives later, you'll want to check it against the terms you agreed to.

Comparing two lawyers' terms side by side

Comparing costs terms isn't about finding the cheapest lawyer at any price. It's about knowing what you're agreeing to. Check how each arrangement treats disbursements, how each defines success, and whether each gives you an estimate in writing. The costs terms are one part of the decision, not all of it, but they're the part you can check on paper.

Same label, different terms

Two arrangements can both be called no win, no fee and still differ on disbursements, on what counts as success and on what comes out at the end. Compare the terms, not the label.

What you might still pay

If a claim doesn't succeed, you may still owe something, depending on the terms. That could include disbursements already paid out, such as expert reports. The agreement should also say what happens to costs if you end it early. None of this is meant to alarm you; it's the reason to read the costs terms closely and ask questions before signing.

  • Fees for expert reports
  • Charges for obtaining records
  • Courier, copying and similar office costs

The one promise we make about cost

Many people search for a no win, no fee lawyer when what they really need is a clear answer about their claim. Our claim check gives you that, free and with no obligation, by phone or online. If your claim does need legal help, you'll go into any costs conversation knowing why, and knowing which questions to ask.

Read next:How our claim check works

Lawyer or not? Settle that first

Plenty of CTP claims run from start to finish without a lawyer, which makes no win, no fee beside the point. Others clearly need legal help. These lists give a rough guide to each.

Often worth talking to a lawyer

  • Someone died in the crash and the family is considering a claim
  • Your injuries are serious and the claim may run for years
  • The insurer has refused your whole claim
  • Your dispute is heading to the Personal Injury Commission

You may not need one

  • You're recovering and expect to be back to normal within months
  • Your statutory benefits claim is accepted and payments are arriving
  • One declined request can be sorted out by sending a document you already have

For statutory benefits questions, SIRA's free CTP Legal Advisory Service may help before any costs agreement is needed. CTP Assist on 1300 656 919 can put you in touch. Do I need a lawyer?

Not quite your situation?

  • Injured at work rather than on the road? That is usually a workers compensation claim, which runs under different rules from CTP. The free claim check can point you to the right help. Free claim check
  • If you've decided to engage a solicitor and want to know about the first meeting and the costs documents, the compensation solicitor page covers them. Compensation solicitor in Condell Park
  • If the bigger question is whether a CTP lawyer is worth it for your claim at all, the CTP lawyer page answers that first. CTP lawyer in Condell Park

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CTP Lawyer is not a law firm. This page is general information, not legal advice; the independent lawyer you speak with can advise on your own situation.

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