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 Picnic Point 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 Picnic Point
What a solicitor does, what stays with you, and how to check who you're dealing with.
Postcode: 2213
- Free claim check, no obligation
- By phone & online, no office to visit
- Helping people in Picnic Point & Revesby Heights
Your solicitor's job, and what stays with you
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 Picnic Point
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. The City of Canterbury-Bankstown 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.
- Region
- Canterbury-Bankstown
- Postcode
- 2213
- Nearest public hospital
- Bankstown-Lidcombe 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
- 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
- The insurer wants statements or documents and you're unsure what to give
- You started the claim yourself and it has become hard to manage
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
- SIRA's free CTP Legal Advisory Service can answer your statutory benefits question
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?
- Injured at work rather than on the road? That is usually a workers compensation claim, which runs under different rules from CTP. The free claim check 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 Picnic 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 Picnic Point
- 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 Picnic Point
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.
Solicitors, barristers and 'lawyers' explained
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?
If you want a different solicitor
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.
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
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.
Checking a solicitor's practising certificate
A practising certificate is, in effect, the licence a solicitor needs to provide legal services. In NSW the Law Society of NSW issues them, and you can generally search its online register to confirm a solicitor holds a current one. If you can't find someone, check the spelling, ask them for their full registered name, or contact the Law Society.
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
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.
You instruct, your solicitor advises
'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.
Complaints, and where they go
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
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.
In NSW, solicitors need a current practising certificate, issued by the Law Society of NSW. You can generally confirm that a solicitor holds one by searching the Law Society's online Register of Solicitors using their full name. If they don't appear, check the spelling or ask them how they're registered. It only takes a few minutes, and it's reasonable to check before you sign anything.
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 solicitor works directly with you: advising, dealing with the insurer, preparing documents and running the claim. A barrister is a lawyer who focuses mainly on advocacy at hearings and on advice about particular issues, and is usually engaged by your solicitor rather than by you directly. Most motor accident claims are handled by a solicitor alone. Where a barrister is involved, your solicitor generally stays your main contact.
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.
Personal injury solicitor: suburbs near Picnic 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.