If a lawyer has been suggested for your motor accident claim, you may be wondering who exactly you'd be dealing with. This page explains the roles of solicitor, lawyer and barrister, what a solicitor's job is, and what stays with you. It also covers how to check a solicitor's standing. People in Mangrove Mountain can start with our free claim check, and many claims never need a solicitor at all.
Central Coast · Personal injury solicitors explained
Personal injury solicitors explained for people in Mangrove Mountain
Your solicitor advises and acts on your instructions. The big decisions stay yours.
Postcode: 2250
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- Helping people in Mangrove Mountain & Narara
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.
Solicitor, lawyer or barrister?
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?
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.
Working with a solicitor from Mangrove Mountain
Many Coast residents commute to Sydney by train or the M1, so a city meeting might fit your week. If your injury makes that hard, ask your solicitor for phone or video instead. Records from Gosford Hospital or a GP near Mangrove Mountain 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. Living in the Central Coast 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
- Central Coast
- Postcode
- 2250
- Public hospital in the region
- Gosford Hospital
- Local government area
- Central Coast Council
Do you need a personal injury solicitor?
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 need formal advice on a decision the insurer has made about you
- You would rather someone else dealt with the insurer for you
- An offer has arrived and you want advice before you decide
- Your injury is serious and the claim is likely to run for a long time
You may not need one
- You want help reading a form, not help challenging a decision
- You're managing your own claim comfortably and it's on track
- 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?
- 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 Mangrove Mountain
- If your question is about the first meeting, what to bring and the costs documents, the compensation solicitor page fits better. Compensation solicitor in Mangrove Mountain
- 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 Mangrove Mountain
Is this solicitor entitled to practise?
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
Giving instructions: what it means
'Instructions' is the word for what you tell your solicitor to do. Your solicitor advises you on the options and the risks, but acts on your instructions. That means the key decisions are yours: whether to lodge a particular claim, whether to challenge a decision, and whether to accept an offer. A solicitor can recommend firmly, but shouldn't decide for you.
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.
Confidentiality and legal privilege
It helps to know what stays private. Conversations with your solicitor are generally confidential, and some may be privileged. But a claim runs on evidence, so medical reports and records relevant to your injury are generally shared with the insurer. If there's something in your history you would rather not see in the file, raise it with your solicitor early and ask what must be disclosed.
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.
The Law Society's specialist accreditation scheme
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
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
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.
Free claim check
Want another view before you instruct anyone?
Questions about the solicitor relationship, or whether you need one at all? Start with a free claim check.
Frequently asked questions
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.
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'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.
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.
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.
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.
Personal injury solicitor: suburbs near Mangrove Mountain
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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.