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 Charing Cross, 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.
Eastern Suburbs · Personal injury solicitors explained
Personal injury solicitor Charing Cross: who does what
What a solicitor does, what stays with you, and how to check who you're dealing with.
Postcode: 2024
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- By phone & online, no office to visit
- Helping people in Charing Cross & Waverley
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
- Keeping your own copies of letters and records
- 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.
Instructing a solicitor from Charing Cross
From Bondi Junction to Randwick, you'll hear the words solicitor, lawyer and barrister used loosely. On a motor accident claim, the person you instruct is usually a solicitor, and a barrister is generally brought in only for particular steps. The Waverley Council area is one of many that a solicitor may work with by phone and online. Distance doesn't change their duties to you: confidentiality, acting on your instructions and keeping you informed apply wherever you are. Transport links such as Bondi Junction station and bus stops on Bronte Road put a solicitor's office within reach for many people near Charing Cross. If travel is hard after the crash, instruct them by phone or video; their duties to you don't change.
- Region
- Eastern Suburbs
- Postcode
- 2024
- Local government area
- Waverley Council
- Getting around
- Bondi Junction station · bus stops on Bronte Road
Do you need a personal injury solicitor?
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
- An offer has arrived and you want advice before you decide
- Your claim may be heading to a hearing
- The other side's insurer disputes what happened
- You already have a solicitor, but the relationship has broken down
You may not need one
- You want help reading a form, not help challenging a decision
- You only want a general explanation of how the scheme works
- You're managing your own claim comfortably and it's on track
Before you engage a solicitor, check that they hold a current practising certificate, and ask for their written costs disclosure. Both are basic steps, and a solicitor should be comfortable with either. What a CTP lawyer costs
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
- 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 Charing Cross
- If your question is about the first meeting, what to bring and the costs documents, the compensation solicitor page fits better. Compensation solicitor in Charing Cross
- 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 Charing Cross
Free claim check
Check your claim before engaging a solicitor
A free, no-obligation look at your motor accident claim, by phone or online, before you commit to anything.
Solicitor, lawyer or barrister?
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?
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 time off work for another reason. 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.
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 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
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.
Is this solicitor entitled to practise?
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
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
Accredited specialists, in plain terms
'Accredited specialist' is a title with a specific meaning in NSW. The Law Society of NSW grants it to solicitors who have shown substantial experience in one area of law and passed the scheme's assessment. Personal injury is one of the areas covered. The title is optional: a solicitor doesn't need it to handle injury claims, and plenty of experienced ones don't hold it.
About the lawyers we connect people with
The lawyers we connect people with are described as independent and experienced in motor accident claims. If a formal title matters to you, ask the solicitor directly which ones they hold.
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
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: 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.
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.
It depends on the stage. Some weeks are busy; others are quiet while the solicitor waits on 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.
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.
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.
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 Charing Cross
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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.