St George & Bayside · Personal injury solicitors explained

Personal injury solicitor Allawah

General information about the solicitor relationship in NSW, not legal advice.

Most people have never engaged a solicitor before a motor accident, and the vocabulary alone can be confusing: solicitor, barrister, practising certificate, accredited specialist, privilege. This page sorts those terms out for people in Allawah, in plain English, so you know who you're dealing with. It isn't legal advice, and it doesn't assume you need a solicitor. Our free claim check helps you decide that.

Postcode: 2218

  • Free claim check, no obligation
  • By phone & online, no office to visit
  • Helping people in Allawah & Carlton

Who does what on your claim

People sometimes expect a solicitor to take over everything. They don't, and they shouldn't. Some tasks only you can do, and some decisions only you can make. This is a general picture of who does what.

Your solicitor's job

  • Advising you on your rights and options, in plain terms
  • Dealing with the insurer and preparing formal documents
  • Gathering the evidence you authorise them to obtain
  • Explaining any offer, then acting on your instructions about it

What stays with you

  • Your treatment, and keeping your own records of it
  • Giving clear instructions and accurate information
  • Telling your solicitor promptly about any change
  • Deciding whether to accept an offer or keep going

General information, not legal advice. How the work is split can vary, so ask your solicitor to explain it for your claim.

From Allawah: meetings, records and language

From St George and Bayside, a trip into the city on the Illawarra Line is simple for some people and hard for others after a crash. Ask your solicitor to meet by phone or video if travel hurts. Hospitals serving the area include St George Hospital. Chasing records from them is usually the solicitor's job. Turning up for treatment, and telling your solicitor about any new referral or diagnosis, stays with you. Your council, Georges River Council, has no part in a CTP claim or in regulating solicitors. Those rules are set for the whole state, which is why a solicitor's standing can be checked the same way from anywhere.

Region
St George & Bayside
Postcode
2218
Nearest public hospital
St George Hospital
Local government area
Georges River Council

Is engaging a solicitor the right step yet?

Not sure whether you're ready to instruct a solicitor? Look at what has happened in your claim so far. These lists sum up when it tends to be worth it and when it usually isn't.

Often worth talking to a lawyer

  • Your claim may be heading to a hearing
  • The insurer wants statements or documents and you're unsure what to give
  • You started the claim yourself and it has become hard to manage
  • You need formal advice on a decision the insurer has made about you

You may not need one

  • You're managing your own claim comfortably and it's on track
  • Your injury has healed and your benefits have been paid
  • SIRA's free CTP Legal Advisory Service can answer your statutory benefits question

A solicitor works from your medical records, so treatment comes first. We can suggest doctors and allied health familiar with CTP, from the Certificate of Fitness to ongoing therapy.

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're still dealing with the injury itself, what to record and how to choose a lawyer, the personal injury lawyer page starts there. Personal injury lawyer in Allawah
  • If your question is about the first meeting, what to bring and the costs documents, the compensation solicitor page fits better. Compensation solicitor in Allawah
  • To see how a solicitor generally runs a CTP claim from start to finish, stage by stage, turn to the car accident solicitor page. Car accident solicitor in Allawah
An older man and a younger woman working through something together on a laptop at home

Free claim check

Talk it through with us first

A free, no-obligation look at your motor accident claim, by phone or online, before you commit to anything.

Free · No obligation

Who's who in legal help

You'll hear three words used, often loosely. A lawyer is anyone admitted to practise law. A solicitor is a lawyer who works directly with clients, handling advice, correspondence and the running of a claim. A barrister is a lawyer who mainly appears at hearings and advises on particular issues, and is usually engaged through your solicitor. For an injury claim, your main relationship is with a solicitor.

Read next:Do I need a lawyer for my CTP claim?

Moving your claim to someone else

You can generally change solicitors if the relationship isn't working. Your new solicitor usually arranges for the file to be transferred. The first solicitor may be entitled to be paid for work already done, and how that's handled depends on the arrangement you signed, so check it or ask before you switch. Try raising the problem directly first; plenty of issues can be fixed.

Accredited specialists, in plain terms

When a solicitor describes themselves as an accredited specialist, they mean a Law Society of NSW scheme that recognises depth of experience in one area of law. Solicitors apply voluntarily, pass an assessment and must keep working in the area to keep the title. It is a useful signal, but only one. It tells you nothing about fees, availability or how clearly a solicitor explains things.

About the lawyers we connect people with

We describe the independent lawyers we connect people with by their experience with motor accident claims, not by any title. Whether a particular solicitor holds accreditation is a fair question to ask them yourself.

You instruct, your solicitor advises

Your solicitor works for you, on your instructions. In practice, they explain your choices, give their advice, and then do what you decide, within the law and their professional duties. The biggest decision, whether to accept an offer to settle, belongs to you. Take the time you need, and ask for the advice in writing if that helps you think.

Some instructions are standing ones, like 'email me rather than call' or 'don't ring me at work'. Others are one-off decisions. Both are yours to give and to change. If your circumstances shift, for example you move, return to work or your injury worsens, tell your solicitor, because it may change the advice.

Keeping your information confidential

Two ideas protect what you tell your solicitor. Confidentiality means they generally can't share your information without your consent. Privilege, in broad terms, can stop communications made to get legal advice from being handed to the other side. Neither is absolute, and medical evidence about your injury is generally shared with the insurer as part of the claim. Ask where the lines fall.

Others in the room

Having a family member on a call is usually fine, but a third party's presence can sometimes affect whether a conversation stays privileged. Ask your solicitor before sharing sensitive details in front of others.

Is this solicitor entitled to practise?

A practising certificate is, in effect, the licence a solicitor needs to provide legal services. In NSW the Law Society of NSW issues them, and you can generally search its online register to confirm a solicitor holds a current one. If you can't find someone, check the spelling, ask them for their full registered name, or contact the Law Society.

Titles on websites

A firm's website can describe its people however it likes. The practising certificate and any accreditation are what the register and the Law Society actually record.

Read next:Do I need a lawyer? Quick check

Concerns about a solicitor

Many problems with a solicitor come down to communication: calls not returned, decisions made without you, or a bill you didn't expect. Say so in writing, and be specific about what you want to change. If the problem is serious, or raising it gets nowhere, the NSW Legal Services Commissioner's office deals with complaints about lawyers' conduct and legal costs. Changing solicitors is a separate option.

Frequently asked questions

Ready to talk it through?

Get a free, no-obligation claim check. It's the first step toward understanding where your claim stands and what help it needs.

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.

Call now(02) 7238 7379Free claim check