Understanding a no win, no fee arrangement's success fee

A solicitor that handles your compensation claim on a no win, no fee basis will not be paid unless he or she wins. For this reason, most conditional fee arrangements (CFAs) allow for a 'success fee' to be charged.

It is important to realise that a success fee is separate from the personal injury solicitor's regular fees. This means that, in a won case, the fee quoted by the solicitor will increase by a certain amount, often a percentage of the final fee, and can be anything up to 100 percent - doubling the fees if the claim is won.

It is also important to note that the opposing side often pays part, or all, of this winning fee. While this is good news for a winning claimant, it also makes it necessary to check how the costs of losing will be handled. ATE insurance can protect a losing claimant from having to pay the success fee him- or herself. Read more about ATE insurance.

The level at which the winning fee is set can vary with how risky the case appears to be. A case where the nature of an injury and the liability involved is relatively straightforward, for example, may carry a low rate, whereas another with less clarity may demand the full 100 percent success fee.

Any reputable personal injury solicitor will discuss the levels of risk and the rate of a success fee with a claimant before the compensation claim is begun.

Finding a no win, no fee solicitor for your compensation claim.
If you find yourself in the unfortunate situation of needing to make a claim for personal injury compensation, we can help. The expertise and sensitivity of our advisors means that we can offer you the advice and information you need, and we do so for free.

You will not be compelled to begin a claim, but if you decide to do so, we can find you representation from a legal firm governed by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, which guarantees you a professional service.

Furthermore, in all but medical negligence cases, we can offer a completely free service, with no risk of paying either your opponent's success fee, our success fee, or other costs incurred in the process of claiming.

You are also guaranteed to receive 100 percent compensation in a won case - we take no cut.

Contacting us is easy. We provide internet access to our advisors through our echat window, our claim form and a callback form that lets you tell us when to call you. Or we can be reached through our UK hotline - 0800 10 757 95. Our no win, no fee specialists look forward to being able to assist you.