Macarthur & Wollondilly · No win, no fee explained

No win, no fee lawyers explained for Mount Annan

Explained, not promised: what the phrase generally means, what may still be payable and what to get in writing.

The phrase sounds simple, but the arrangement behind it can vary a lot. Agreements treat disbursements such as medical reports in different ways, and success can be defined in different ways too. If you live in or near Mount Annan, 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: 2567

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Reading costs terms from Mount Annan, by phone and online

If Campbelltown Hospital or Camden Hospital treated you, records and reports may be part of your claim later. The costs agreement should say how their cost is met, whatever the result. Council areas such as Camden Council play no part in what a lawyer can charge on a CTP claim. The limits are set by state regulation and apply across NSW, so compare lawyers on their written terms, not their address. Mount Annan is about 5 km west of Campbelltown, and comparing costs terms doesn't need a trip there. Written terms can be sent by email, questions answered by phone, and our claim check runs by phone and online.

Region
Macarthur & Wollondilly
Postcode
2567
Local government area
Camden Council
Distance to Campbelltown
~5 km
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A costs arrangement, not a promise

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.

Which terms to get in writing

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

Store the written terms with the rest of your claim documents. Checking a later bill against what you signed is much easier when the agreement is to hand.

Six questions worth asking about costs

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.

  • How do the CTP costs rules in the Regulation limit what you can charge?
  • What comes out of my compensation at the end, and in what order?
  • What counts as the claim succeeding under this agreement?
  • Will you tell me in writing if that estimate changes?
  • What happens to costs if I end the agreement before the claim finishes?
  • Can I take the agreement away and read it before signing?

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.

How CTP costs rules fit in

A NSW CTP claim has its own costs rules, and they apply whatever a lawyer's arrangement is called. Maximum legal costs are set by the Motor Accident Injuries Regulation and indexed each year. In a statutory benefits claim, costs are recoverable only where the Regulation or the Personal Injury Commission allows, and for some disputes they can't be recovered at all. A no win, no fee arrangement has to fit around those rules.

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?

How to compare costs arrangements fairly

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

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.

What you might still pay

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.

  • Fees for medical reports
  • Charges for obtaining hospital or treatment records
  • Courier, copying and similar office costs

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

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

  • Fault is contested, and it decides whether damages are possible
  • The insurer has refused your whole claim
  • A settlement offer is waiting for your reply
  • Your injuries are serious and the claim may run for years

You may not need one

  • You're happy with how the insurer has handled things so far
  • One declined treatment request can be sorted out with a report from your doctor
  • You're recovering and expect to be back to normal within months

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
  • 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 Mount Annan
  • If you're still deciding whether your claim needs legal help, the CTP lawyer page for Mount Annan sets out when it usually does. CTP lawyer in Mount Annan

Frequently asked questions

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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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