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 Breakfast Point, 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.
Inner West · Personal injury solicitors explained
Personal injury solicitor Breakfast Point
What a solicitor does, what stays with you, and how to check who you're dealing with.
Postcode: 2137
- Free claim check, no obligation
- By phone & online, no office to visit
- Helping people in Breakfast Point & Cabarita
Who does what on your claim
Knowing where your solicitor's role ends and yours begins saves a lot of frustration. The split below is general, and a good solicitor will explain it for your own claim at the start.
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 Breakfast Point
Reaching a meeting on the Inner West & Leppington Line or by river ferry may be easy, or painful, depending on your injury. Tell your solicitor what suits you; phone and video are fine. Records from Concord Repatriation General Hospital or a GP near Breakfast Point can mention health matters that have nothing to do with the crash. Your solicitor generally has to keep them confidential, and you can ask what will go to the insurer before it's sent. Solicitors aren't licensed council by council. Whether you live in the City of Canada Bay 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
- Inner West
- Postcode
- 2137
- Nearest public hospital
- Concord Repatriation General Hospital
- Local government area
- City of Canada Bay
Is engaging a solicitor the right step yet?
Engaging a solicitor is a serious step, usually with a written agreement and an ongoing working relationship. It is worth taking when your claim needs it, and not before. Here is a rough guide.
Often worth talking to a lawyer
- 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
- Your injury is serious and the claim is likely to run for a long time
- The other side's insurer disputes what happened
You may not need one
- What you mainly need is medical help or a new treating doctor
- Your injury has healed and your benefits have been paid
- SIRA's free CTP Legal Advisory Service can answer your statutory benefits question
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?
- 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
- 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 Breakfast Point
- If your question is about the first meeting, what to bring and the costs documents, the compensation solicitor page fits better. Compensation solicitor in Breakfast Point
- For the stages of a CTP file, from statutory benefits through to settlement, see the car accident solicitor page. Car accident solicitor in Breakfast Point
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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
Whether someone calls themselves a lawyer or a solicitor, in an injury claim you are usually talking about a solicitor. Barristers are different. They are engaged for particular tasks, such as a hearing or a written opinion on a hard point, and they generally work on your matter through your solicitor rather than managing it from day to day.
Read next:Do I need a lawyer for my CTP claim?
Accredited specialists, in plain terms
The Law Society of NSW runs a specialist accreditation scheme. Solicitors with several years of practice, including substantial time in one area such as personal injury, can apply, and those who pass its assessment may call themselves accredited specialists in that area. It is formal recognition of depth in one field. Many capable solicitors are not accredited, and the title says nothing about how a particular claim will go.
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.
Confidentiality and legal privilege
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
If a friend or relative joins your meetings, check with your solicitor first about anything sensitive. Who is present can sometimes matter to whether advice stays privileged.
Moving your claim to someone else
Changing solicitors part-way through a claim is allowed, and people do it for many reasons: poor communication, a move interstate, or a loss of trust. It's worth being clear about why before you switch. The new solicitor can generally request the file. Ask both what happens to fees for work already done, because arrangements vary and surprises help nobody.
Giving instructions: what it means
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.
Checking a solicitor's practising certificate
Every solicitor practising in NSW needs a current practising certificate. You can generally check a solicitor's details on the Law Society of NSW's online Register of Solicitors, which lists solicitors who hold a current certificate. It is a quick check, and it is reasonable to do it before you sign anything. A solicitor won't be offended that you looked.
Titles on websites
Words like 'expert' on a website are marketing, not formal titles. 'Accredited specialist' is a formal title. If a solicitor uses it, you can ask which area of law it covers.
Read next:Do I need a lawyer? Quick check
If something goes wrong
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
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.
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.
A conflict can arise where a solicitor's duty to you clashes with a duty to someone else, or with their own interests. One example is acting for two people from the same crash whose interests may pull in different directions. Solicitors generally must avoid acting where there's a conflict, or manage it within strict rules. If you're worried about one, ask the solicitor directly; they should explain.
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.
Generally, yes. If the relationship isn't working, you can move your claim to another solicitor, who will usually arrange for the file to be transferred. Your first solicitor may be entitled to payment for work already done, depending on the agreement you signed, so ask how that will be handled before you switch. It's often worth raising your concerns directly first, because many problems can be fixed.
Probably not. Most motor accident claims are resolved without a barrister, through dealings with the insurer and, where needed, the Personal Injury Commission. A solicitor may brief a barrister for a hearing, a complex legal question or court proceedings. If that's suggested, ask why, what the barrister will do and how it affects what you'll pay, so you can give an informed instruction.
Personal injury solicitor: suburbs near Breakfast Point
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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.