South Coast & Shoalhaven · Personal injury solicitors explained

Personal injury solicitor Worrigee

What a solicitor does, what stays with you, and how to check who you're dealing with.

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 Worrigee can start with our free claim check, and many claims never need a solicitor at all.

Postcode: 2540

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Your solicitor's job, and what stays with you

Working with a solicitor is a partnership with clear roles. Your solicitor brings legal knowledge and handles the formal work. You keep control of your treatment, your information and the decisions that matter most. Here is how that generally divides.

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?

Accredited specialists, in plain terms

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

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.

Working with a solicitor from Worrigee

Long drives on the Princes Highway are no reason to go without advice. Most instructions can be given by phone, email or video, and the solicitor's duties to you stay the same. Your solicitor will want a list of everywhere you were treated, starting with Shoalhaven District Memorial Hospital if you went there. Leave nothing out, even a brief visit. A gap you forgot to mention is harder to explain later than one raised at the start. Living in the Shoalhaven 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
South Coast & Shoalhaven
Postcode
2540
Nearest public hospital
Shoalhaven District Memorial Hospital
Local government area
Shoalhaven City 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 already have a solicitor, but the relationship has broken down
  • You would rather someone else dealt with the insurer for you
  • Your injury is serious and the claim is likely to run for a long time
  • Your claim may be heading to a hearing

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
  • Your injury has healed and your benefits have been paid

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
  • 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 Worrigee
  • If your question is about the first meeting, what to bring and the costs documents, the compensation solicitor page fits better. Compensation solicitor in Worrigee
  • 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 Worrigee

Who decides what on your claim

'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.

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

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

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.

How to check who you're dealing with

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

Complaints, and where they go

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.

A clipboard of blank forms, folders and pens laid out on a wooden desk

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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.

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