You can ask a solicitor questions, disagree with their advice and, if it comes to it, move to another solicitor. Those rights often go unspoken. This guide sets them out for people in Maianbar who were hurt on the road and are working with, or thinking about, a personal injury solicitor. Start with a free claim check if you're not sure you need one.
Sutherland Shire · Personal injury solicitors explained
Personal injury solicitors explained for people in Maianbar
What a solicitor does, what stays with you, and how to check who you're dealing with.
Postcode: 2230
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- By phone & online, no office to visit
- Helping people in Maianbar & Port Hacking
Dividing the work: you and your solicitor
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.
Instructing a solicitor from Maianbar
From the Shire, a meeting in the city means the Illawarra Line or a long drive on the Princes Highway. Many solicitors take instructions by phone and video, so ask what works for both of you. Hospitals serving the area include The Sutherland 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. Living in the Sutherland Shire Council area places no limit on which NSW solicitor you use. What counts is that they hold a current practising certificate and deal with motor accident claims, wherever they happen to be based.
- Region
- Sutherland Shire
- Postcode
- 2230
- Nearest public hospital
- The Sutherland Hospital
- Local government area
- Sutherland Shire Council
A solicitor for your claim: needed or not?
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
- An offer has arrived and you want advice before you decide
- You would rather someone else dealt with the insurer for you
- You started the claim yourself and it has become hard to manage
- Your claim may be heading to a hearing
You may not need one
- What you mainly need is medical help or a new treating doctor
- You only want a general explanation of how the scheme works
- You're managing your own claim comfortably and it's on track
A solicitor can't treat your injury. If you need a GP who understands the Certificate of Fitness, or physiotherapy or psychology, we can point you to doctors and allied health experienced with CTP.
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 Maianbar
- If your question is about the first meeting, what to bring and the costs documents, the compensation solicitor page fits better. Compensation solicitor in Maianbar
- For the stages of a CTP file, from statutory benefits through to settlement, see the car accident solicitor page. Car accident solicitor in Maianbar
Free claim check
Talk it through with us first
Questions about the solicitor relationship, or whether you need one at all? Start with a free claim check.
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?
If you want a different solicitor
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.
What 'accredited specialist' means
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.
Confidentiality and legal privilege
Solicitors owe you a duty of confidentiality. In general, what you tell them about your claim isn't shared with others without your permission, except where the law requires it. Separately, legal professional privilege can protect certain communications made for the purpose of getting legal advice. The details are technical, so if something sensitive worries you, ask your solicitor how it would be handled.
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.
Giving instructions: what it means
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.
If you're unsure what your solicitor is asking you to decide, say so. It's reasonable to ask what happens under each option, what the risks are, and what they would recommend and why. You can also ask for time to think or to talk it over with family. Instructions given under pressure are the ones people most often regret.
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
If you believe a solicitor has acted improperly or charged unfairly, you can generally take it to the NSW Legal Services Commissioner. Before that, put your concern in writing to the solicitor and give them a chance to respond. Keep copies of everything. Changing solicitors and making a complaint are separate steps; you can take one without the other.
Frequently asked questions
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.
Start by putting your concern in writing to the solicitor or the principal of their practice; many problems are resolved that way. If not, complaints about NSW lawyers generally go to the Office of the NSW Legal Services Commissioner, which deals with conduct complaints and disputes about legal costs. Time limits can apply to costs disputes. Complaints about how a CTP insurer has treated you are a separate matter for a different body.
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.
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 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.
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 Maianbar
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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.