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 Undercliffe, 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.
Canterbury-Bankstown · No win, no fee explained
No win, no fee lawyers explained for Undercliffe
Explained, not promised: what the phrase generally means, what may still be payable and what to get in writing.
Postcode: 2206
- Free claim check, no obligation
- By phone & online, no office to visit
- Helping people in Undercliffe & Turrella
What “no win, no fee” generally means
“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.
No win, no fee in a CTP claim
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?
Legal costs and where you live: Undercliffe
If Bankstown-Lidcombe Hospital or Canterbury Hospital treated you, ask a lawyer how the cost of getting those records and any reports is handled, both along the way and if the claim doesn't succeed. Being in the City of Canterbury-Bankstown area doesn't change the costs rules for a CTP claim. Maximum legal costs are set statewide by regulation, so a lawyer in another council area works to the same limits as one down the road. There's no need to travel to Burwood to compare costs arrangements. From Undercliffe, you can request written terms by email, talk them through by phone, and use our free claim check online or by phone.
- Region
- Canterbury-Bankstown
- Postcode
- 2206
- Local government area
- City of Canterbury-Bankstown
- Distance to Burwood
- ~6 km
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Six questions worth asking about costs
You don't need to be an expert to read a costs agreement well. You need the right questions. Here are the ones that tend to matter most in a motor accident claim.
- How do the CTP costs rules in the Regulation limit what you can charge?
- If the claim doesn't succeed, what would I have to pay, if anything?
- Is there a cooling-off period after I sign?
- Can I take the agreement away and read it before signing?
- What comes out of my compensation at the end, and in what order?
- How are your professional fees worked out if the claim succeeds?
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.
Lawyer or not? Settle that first
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
- Someone died in the crash and the family is considering a claim
- Fault is contested, and it decides whether damages are possible
- Your injuries are serious and the claim may run for years
- A settlement offer is waiting for your reply
You may not need one
- 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
- Your statutory benefits claim is accepted and payments are arriving
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?
- If the injury happened at work, including on the road for work, workers compensation is usually the scheme that applies first, not CTP. After a crash, a CTP damages claim may still be possible. 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 Undercliffe
- 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 Undercliffe
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
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.
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
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
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.
The one promise we make about cost
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 win no fee lawyer: suburbs near Undercliffe
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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.