Trust matters when someone is handling your injury claim. The reassuring part is that solicitors in NSW work under professional rules, and anyone can check that a solicitor is entitled to practise. For people in Belfield after a crash, this guide covers what a solicitor does, what they need from you, and where to turn if the relationship breaks down.
Canterbury-Bankstown · Personal injury solicitors explained
Personal injury solicitor Belfield
Your solicitor advises and acts on your instructions. The big decisions stay yours.
Postcode: 2191
- Free claim check, no obligation
- By phone & online, no office to visit
- Helping people in Belfield & Strathfield South
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.
Working with a solicitor from Belfield
Bankstown-Lidcombe Hospital and Canterbury Hospital serve this area. Tell your solicitor where you were treated; requesting those records with your authority is generally part of what they do. Solicitors aren't licensed council by council. Whether you live in the City of Canterbury-Bankstown area or across the state, the same professional rules apply to any NSW solicitor, and their practising certificate can be checked the same way.
- Region
- Canterbury-Bankstown
- Postcode
- 2191
- Nearest public hospital
- Canterbury Hospital
- Local government area
- City of Canterbury-Bankstown
A solicitor for your claim: needed or not?
Many motor accident claims are handled by the injured person with no solicitor at all. Others reach a point where formal advice makes a real difference. These lists are a general guide to which is which.
Often worth talking to a lawyer
- The other side's insurer disputes what happened
- You would rather someone else dealt with the insurer for you
- The insurer wants statements or documents and you're unsure what to give
- An offer has arrived and you want advice before you decide
You may not need one
- Your injury has healed and your benefits have been paid
- You only want a general explanation of how the scheme works
- You want help reading a form, not help challenging a decision
Legal help and medical care run side by side. Ask us about doctors and allied health who know CTP claims, including GPs who complete the Certificate of Fitness.
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
- For what to do after an injury, the records worth keeping and choosing a lawyer in the first place, see the personal injury lawyer page. Personal injury lawyer in Belfield
- If your question is about the first meeting, what to bring and the costs documents, the compensation solicitor page fits better. Compensation solicitor in Belfield
- For the stages of a CTP file, from statutory benefits through to settlement, see the car accident solicitor page. Car accident solicitor in Belfield
Free claim check
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A free, no-obligation look at your motor accident claim, by phone or online, before you commit to anything.
Who's who in legal help
Most people deal with only one lawyer during a motor accident claim, and that is their solicitor. The solicitor gives advice, deals with the insurer and keeps the file moving. If a claim needs a hearing or an opinion on a difficult point, the solicitor may brief a barrister, who then works alongside them. Knowing who is who tells you who to ask, and who answers for what.
Read next:Do I need a lawyer for my CTP claim?
What you tell your solicitor, and who else sees it
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.
Changing solicitors
If you're thinking about moving to another solicitor, first tell your current one what isn't working. Sometimes one frank conversation fixes it. If not, you are generally free to go. The new solicitor will usually handle the transfer of the file. Keep your own copies of key letters throughout, so a change never leaves you without the basic information about your claim.
The Law Society's specialist accreditation scheme
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.
Checking a solicitor's practising certificate
Checking credentials takes a few minutes. Confirm the solicitor's full name, then look them up on the Law Society of NSW register to see that their practising certificate is current. If someone else in the practice will do much of the work, you can ask who will supervise your file and look that person up too. None of this is rude; it's ordinary care with any professional.
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
Who decides what on your claim
Good instructions start with good information. Tell your solicitor everything relevant, including the parts that don't help you, like an old injury or a gap in treatment. They can only advise properly on the whole picture. Then, when a decision is needed, they will set out the options. You choose, and they act on your choice.
A solicitor can't follow an instruction to do something improper, such as mislead the insurer or hold back material they may be obliged to disclose. Their duties to the court and the law come first. That protects you as much as anyone, because a claim built on a full, honest account stands on firmer ground.
If something goes wrong
Most concerns are worth raising with the solicitor first, or with the principal of their practice. If that doesn't resolve it, complaints about lawyers in NSW generally go to the Office of the NSW Legal Services Commissioner, an independent body that deals with complaints about conduct and about legal costs. That is separate from a complaint about a CTP insurer, which goes elsewhere. Time limits can apply, so don't leave it too long.
Frequently asked questions
It depends on the stage. Some weeks are busy; others are quiet while the solicitor waits on medical reports or the insurer. A reasonable arrangement is one you agree at the start: how you'll be contacted, roughly how often, and who covers when your usual contact is away. If a long silence worries you, ask. Solicitors are generally expected to give clear and timely advice as a matter progresses.
Yes, within limits. Your solicitor generally can't pass on what you tell them without your consent, except where the law requires it, and some advice may also be privileged. Private isn't the same as kept out of the claim, though: medical records about your injury are normally shared with the insurer because the claim depends on them. If something in your history worries you, raise it early and ask whether it has to be disclosed.
It's a title granted under the Law Society of NSW's specialist accreditation scheme to solicitors who have shown substantial experience in one area of law, such as personal injury, and passed the scheme's assessment. It's voluntary, and plenty of experienced injury solicitors aren't accredited. If a solicitor uses the title, you can ask which area it covers. The lawyers we connect people with are described by their experience, not by this title.
It means telling your solicitor what you want done. Your solicitor advises on the options and their risks; you decide. Some instructions are big, such as whether to accept an offer or challenge a decision. Others are everyday, like how you want to be contacted. Your solicitor acts on your instructions, within the law and their professional duties, and should tell you if they can't follow one.
Solicitors in NSW practise under the Legal Profession Uniform Law, which sets professional and ethical rules. The Law Society of NSW issues practising certificates and oversees standards, and the Office of the NSW Legal Services Commissioner receives complaints about lawyers. Solicitors also owe duties to the court. In practice, rules about honesty, confidentiality, conflicts and costs disclosure generally apply to any solicitor you work with.
No. Accreditation is optional, and a solicitor doesn't need it to handle a motor accident claim. What matters more is real experience with NSW CTP claims, which you can ask about directly, along with how the solicitor will keep you informed. The title is one signal among several, not a requirement, and its absence isn't a warning sign on its own.
Personal injury solicitor: suburbs near Belfield
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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.