“No win, no fee” describes how some lawyers charge. It isn't a rule of the NSW CTP scheme, and it doesn't mean legal help is free. For people in Fairy Meadow weighing up a motor accident claim, the useful questions are what you'd owe if the claim failed, what comes out if it succeeds and whether you need a lawyer at all. Our free claim check can help with the last one.
Wollongong & the Illawarra · No win, no fee explained
Fairy Meadow: before you sign with a no win, no fee lawyer
The written terms matter more than the slogan. Here's what to look for, and what CTP costs rules already limit.
Postcode: 2519
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Fairy Meadow: comparing costs terms from home
If Wollongong Hospital or Shellharbour Hospital treated you, a claim may later need reports from your doctors. Check how any costs agreement deals with those reports before you sign. Legal costs in NSW CTP claims are regulated the same way across the state, whether you're under Wollongong City Council or anywhere else. What differs between lawyers is how their own costs terms are written, so compare those. From Fairy Meadow, the Sydney CBD is roughly 66 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
- Wollongong & the Illawarra
- Postcode
- 2519
- Local government area
- Wollongong City Council
- From the Sydney CBD
- ~66 km
Free claim check
Check your claim before you sign anything
Call (02) 7238 7379 or start online. It's free, with no obligation, so you can settle the lawyer question before any talk of costs.
A costs arrangement, not a promise
“No win, no fee” generally describes a costs arrangement where the lawyer's professional fees are only payable if the claim succeeds. The agreement that sets this out is often called a conditional costs agreement, because payment depends on a condition: success. Beyond that basic idea, the details vary between lawyers, which is why the written terms matter more than the phrase itself.
Comparing two lawyers' terms side by side
If you're speaking with more than one lawyer, compare their terms on the same points: what's payable if the claim doesn't succeed, how disbursements are treated, how fees on success are worked out, and what the estimate of total costs is. A headline label tells you little. Two arrangements both called no win, no fee can leave you in quite different positions.
Same label, different terms
A label is not a comparison. Put the written terms from each lawyer side by side and check each against the same questions before you decide.
Before you sign: the costs questions that matter
Costs terms vary between lawyers, so the same label can mean different things. Put these questions to any lawyer before you sign, and compare the answers side by side if you're speaking with more than one.
- Can I take the agreement away and read it before signing?
- What comes out of my compensation at the end, and in what order?
- If the claim doesn't succeed, what would I have to pay, if anything?
- Which disbursements, such as medical reports, could I be asked to cover, and when?
- Can I have an estimate of total legal costs, in writing?
- Will you tell me in writing if that estimate changes?
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.
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.
If your questions are about statutory benefits and your accident was on or after 1 December 2017, the free CTP Legal Advisory Service may answer them without any costs arrangement. You can ask CTP Assist (1300 656 919) to put you through to it. Its limits matter: no damages claims, no older-scheme claims, and nothing that's already in internal review or before the Commission. Beyond those limits, the costs questions on this page come into play.
Read next:What does a CTP lawyer cost?
Costs that may apply either way
The lawyer's professional fees are one thing. Disbursements are another. These are costs paid to others as the claim goes on, such as fees for medical reports or for obtaining records, and they can add up in a claim that needs expert evidence. Ask whether you may be asked to pay them if the claim doesn't succeed, and whether you'd pay as you go or at the end.
- The cost of any expert opinion the lawyer arranges
- Interpreter or translation costs, if any
- Courier, copying and similar office costs
Which terms to get in writing
A spoken explanation is a start, not the arrangement. Ask for three things in writing: what you'd pay if the claim doesn't succeed, how disbursements such as medical reports are handled, and how the lawyer's fees are worked out if it does succeed. If any of those is missing or vague, ask again before you sign.
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.
Our claim check is free
We don't set any lawyer's fees, and we can't tell you what a lawyer's terms would be. What we can do is check your claim for free, with no obligation, and tell you whether a lawyer is likely to help. If we connect you with one, you decide whether to go ahead after reading their costs terms. We'll also tell you if a provider we refer you to is connected with us.
Read next:How our claim check works
Do you need a lawyer at all?
The costs question only matters if your claim needs a lawyer, and many claims never do. Here's when legal help is often worth paying for, and when you may manage without it.
Often worth talking to a lawyer
- A settlement offer is waiting for your reply
- Someone died in the crash and the family is considering a claim
- Your dispute is heading to the Personal Injury Commission
- You're outside a time limit and need a quick legal view
You may not need one
- Your statutory benefits claim is accepted and payments are arriving
- You're recovering and expect to be back to normal within months
- SIRA's free CTP Legal Advisory Service covers your statutory benefits question
A lawyer's work runs on medical evidence, starting with the Certificate of Fitness. If you don't yet have a treating team that knows the CTP scheme, doctors and allied health are often the first help to arrange.
Not quite your situation?
- Hurt at work, or in a crash while you were working? That is usually a workers compensation claim first, which is a different scheme from CTP. Tell us what happened and we can point you to the right help. Free claim check
- For what happens when you first meet a solicitor, including the costs disclosure and agreement you receive, see the compensation solicitor page for Fairy Meadow. Compensation solicitor in Fairy Meadow
- 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 Fairy Meadow
Frequently asked questions
It depends on the lawyer, so ask before the conversation starts. Some lawyers may not charge for an initial discussion about a motor accident claim, and others may; don't assume either way. Our claim check is different: it's free, with no obligation, and it can tell you whether a lawyer would add anything to your claim before you have that conversation.
That depends on the costs terms, so ask for a written explanation before you sign. Generally, the lawyer's professional fees and any disbursements are paid, and some or all of that may come out of the compensation. In a CTP claim, maximum legal costs are capped by regulation, and in statutory benefits matters the insurer pays the costs the rules allow. Ask for a written breakdown at the end, too.
Yes, and it's sensible to. Ask for an estimate in writing, how it was worked out and what could change it, such as the claim running longer than expected or needing more expert reports. Ask how you'll be told if the estimate changes. An estimate isn't a fixed price, but it gives you something to compare between lawyers and to check against as the claim goes on.
In some ways, yes, because CTP legal costs are regulated. The Motor Accident Injuries Regulation sets maximum costs, and those amounts are indexed every year. For statutory benefits, a lawyer's costs are paid by the insurer, and only where the Regulation or the Personal Injury Commission allows; some disputes allow none. Damages work is capped as well. Whatever arrangement a lawyer offers has to work within those limits, so ask them to explain how.
No. It generally means the lawyer's own fees aren't charged if the claim doesn't succeed. Other costs may still apply, such as disbursements for medical reports, depending on the terms. If the claim succeeds, fees are generally paid, often from the compensation. Legal costs in a CTP claim are capped by regulation as well. The only free thing we can promise is our own claim check, which comes with no obligation.
At least three things: what you'd pay if the claim fails, how disbursements such as medical reports are handled, and how fees are worked out if the claim succeeds. It also helps to have an estimate of total costs, a clear definition of success, and what happens if you end the agreement early. Written answers let you compare lawyers and check any later bill against what you agreed.
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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.