Solicitors don't make the big decisions on your claim. You do, on their advice, including whether to challenge a decision and whether to accept an offer. If you're in Ropes Crossing and weighing up legal help after a crash, it helps to understand the relationship before it starts. We offer a free claim check and, where a case needs one, connect you with an independent solicitor.
Blacktown & Mount Druitt · Personal injury solicitors explained
Personal injury solicitors explained for people in Ropes Crossing
General information about the solicitor relationship in NSW, not legal advice.
Postcode: 2760
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- Helping people in Ropes Crossing & Willmot
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.
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?
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.
Working with a solicitor from Ropes Crossing
From Blacktown or Mount Druitt, the Western Line and the T-way buses reach Parramatta and the city. If travel is hard, say so; a solicitor can take instructions by phone or video. If a doctor at Mount Druitt Hospital wrote down the crash differently from how you remember it, tell your solicitor now. A difference you raise early is much easier to deal with than one the insurer points out later. Living in the Blacktown City 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
- Blacktown & Mount Druitt
- Postcode
- 2760
- Nearest public hospital
- Mount Druitt Hospital
- Local government area
- Blacktown City Council
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
- The other side's insurer disputes what happened
- The insurer wants statements or documents and you're unsure what to give
- You need formal advice on a decision the insurer has made about you
- An offer has arrived and you want advice before you decide
You may not need one
- Your injury has healed and your benefits have been paid
- SIRA's free CTP Legal Advisory Service can answer your statutory benefits question
- What you mainly need is medical help or a new treating doctor
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
- 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 Ropes Crossing
- If you're ready to engage a solicitor and wondering about the first meeting and the costs paperwork, the compensation solicitor page covers that ground. Compensation solicitor in Ropes Crossing
- For the stages of a CTP file, from statutory benefits through to settlement, see the car accident solicitor page. Car accident solicitor in Ropes Crossing
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
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.
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
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
Who decides what on your claim
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.
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.
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.
Concerns about a solicitor
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.
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.
Frequently asked questions
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.
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.
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.
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 Ropes Crossing
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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.