If you live in Tumut and you've seen “no win, no fee” in a lawyer's advertising, it helps to know what the phrase generally means before you rely on it. In most cases it refers to an arrangement where you pay the lawyer's professional fees only if the claim succeeds. The details differ between lawyers, and some costs may still be payable either way. This page explains what to ask, and our claim check is free.
Riverina & Murray · No win, no fee explained
Tumut: questions to ask a no win, no fee lawyer
Many motor accident lawyers offer costs terms like this. The details differ, so compare them before you sign.
Postcode: 2720
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Legal costs and where you live: Tumut
If the crash happened near the Murray, confirm it was on the NSW side. Victoria has its own scheme with different rules, so NSW costs rules may not apply to a crash across the river. Legal costs in NSW CTP claims are regulated the same way across the state, whether you're under Snowy Valleys Council or anywhere else. What differs between lawyers is how their own costs terms are written, so compare those. From Tumut, the Sydney CBD is roughly 317 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
- Riverina & Murray
- Postcode
- 2720
- Local government area
- Snowy Valleys Council
- Distance to Wagga Wagga
- ~81 km
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Find out if you need a lawyer first
Before comparing costs terms, find out whether you need a lawyer. Our free, no-obligation claim check works by phone and online.
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.
The costs terms worth having 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.
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?
- Can I take the agreement away and read it before signing?
- Which disbursements, such as medical reports, could I be asked to cover, and when?
- If the claim doesn't succeed, what would I have to pay, if anything?
- 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.
Comparing costs terms
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.
Disbursements and other costs to ask about
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
How CTP costs rules fit in
In statutory benefits matters, the insurer pays the legal costs the rules allow, and some disputes allow none. For damages claims, the maximum a lawyer can charge is also capped. So in a CTP claim, “no win, no fee” is only part of the costs picture. The rest is set by the Regulation, and a lawyer should be able to explain in writing how both apply to your claim.
Before paying for advice, check what's free. SIRA's CTP Legal Advisory Service gives free legal advice on statutory benefits for accidents from 1 December 2017, and CTP Assist on 1300 656 919 can connect you with it. It won't run a damages claim, and it doesn't take on disputes that have already reached internal review or the Commission, but for many early questions it means no costs agreement is needed at all.
Read next:What does a CTP lawyer cost?
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
- You're outside a time limit and need a quick legal view
- A damages claim looks possible, so legal costs are likely to be part of the picture
- You've been offered costs terms and can't tell what you'd owe if the claim failed
- 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
- One declined treatment request can be sorted out with a report from your doctor
- Your question is general, and CTP Assist can answer it for free
If the gap is treatment rather than legal help, we can put you in touch with doctors and allied health who work with CTP claims. They can also help keep your Certificate of Fitness accurate and current.
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
- For what happens when you first meet a solicitor, including the costs disclosure and agreement you receive, see the compensation solicitor page for Tumut. Compensation solicitor in Tumut
- If you're still deciding whether your claim needs legal help, the CTP lawyer page for Tumut sets out when it usually does. CTP lawyer in Tumut
Frequently asked questions
Ask about this before you sign, because the answer depends on the agreement and the rules that apply to it. An agreement may include a cooling-off period, and a clear one should explain what happens to costs if you end the arrangement early, including any work already done. If you're unsure, take the agreement away, read it and ask questions first. Signing is easier to delay than to undo.
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.
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.
No. Many lawyers who handle motor accident claims offer arrangements described as no win, no fee, but not all do, and the terms of those who do are not the same. Some may charge in other ways for some kinds of work. Whatever a lawyer offers, ask for a written costs disclosure and read it before you agree. We don't set any lawyer's fees or terms.
It's generally the kind of agreement behind a no win, no fee arrangement: one where payment of some or all of the lawyer's fees depends on a condition, usually the claim succeeding. What counts as success, and which costs are conditional, are set out in the agreement itself. Terms vary, so read it closely, ask about anything unclear, and keep a signed copy with your claim papers.
No win no fee lawyer: suburbs near Tumut
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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.