Points That Have to Go in the Contract with Your Solicitor

According to the laws of the United Kingdom, almost every personal injury case can be filed under the no win no fee agreement. There can be no doubt about the fact that this particular arrangement has made the entire judicial system a lot more approachable as far as the common, middle class citizen is concerned. However, it should be kept in mind that while practically every personal injury case can be filed under the no win no fee system, it is always advisable to take the help of a lawyer that specializes in the area of concern. For instance, if you are filing a claim for compensation after an accident at work, it is most advisable that you contact only those lawyers that have considerable experience and expertise in the related field.

Getting a Professional

The reason behind this can be pretty easily understood. There are some unique characteristics to each and every case, and those can be properly known only to a professional who has been involved in the said field for quite some time. On the other hand, it is advisable to always take the help of a professional while filing a claim for compensation, even though it is possible for file a case independently. The reason behind this is pretty simple as well. Only a professional will be able to build up a foolproof case and determine the exact amount that you should demand as compensation.

Importance of a Contract

While the no win no fee agreement has made the judicial system much more approachable, on the other hand, however, this system has also made it rather difficult for people to get solicitors, thanks to the fact that there is a lot at stake under this agreement as far as the solicitors are concerned. Once you have managed to get a solicitor to represent your case, it is of the utmost importance that you draw up a contract in order to prevent any unpleasant issues from arising in the future.

Important Clauses in the Contract

There are various points that you should keep in mind while drawing up a contract with your personal injury solicitor.

• For starters, make sure that the entire contract is absolutely transparent. No matter how long you take, do not hesitate to go over all the details of your contract with the solicitor. There should be no doubt whatsoever in either your mind or the solicitor about the details of your dealings. It is of the utmost importance to keep in mind that before you have proceeded with the case, both you and your legal professional are on the same page about everything.
• The details of payment should be stated very clearly in the contract. If you are filing the case on a conditional fee arrangement, then the clauses should be clearly mentioned and explained. A conditional fee arrangement means that you have to pay the fees of the lawyer only if you have been able to gain compensation from the opponent; failing this, the lawyer has to forfeit all claims to his or her fee. However, this doesn’t mean that you are exempted from the payment of all the additional costs that are incurred during the proceedings of the case. These should be stated clearly in the contract.
• In the circumstance of winning the case and getting the compensation for your whiplash claim or any other kind of claim, you will have to pay the lawyer the fees along with all the other additional costs. In most cases, the lawyer demands his or her fees from the compensation amount itself; this depends on the jurisdiction of the lawyer as well as the statutes of the region the case is fought in. Make sure that the contract contains all the details of the payment process, that is, how much the lawyer can claim from your compensation amount for the legal services.
• It is of the utmost importance that you are absolutely clear about you say in the case. It should be kept in mind that the stake is huge as far as the solicitors are concerned when it comes to a no win no fee case. Therefore, you should keep in mind that there is a huge chance that the lawyer might attempt to manipulate the situation to his or her best advantage, something that you need to keep a sharp lookout for. If at any given point you feel that you are not very comfortable with the decisions that are being made by your legal professional, it is absolutely mandatory that you take the necessary steps and intervene. So, in order to make sure that you have the final say in the whole matter, it is absolutely necessary that you have this particular clause stated clearly in your contract.
• The contract with your accident at work solicitor any other kind of lawyer should state clearly the course of action in the circumstance of a parting of ways. Keep in mind that there is no binding contract that states that the lawyer you choose in the beginning will have to be retained till the end; you are at complete liberty to change the professional if you feel that you are not being able to see eye to eye with the one you have now. However, that does not exempt you from paying the fees of the lawyer and reimburse the costs incurred so far; make sure that everything is stated very clearly in the contract.

Exercise Caution

When you are drawing up the contract with the solicitor of your choice, do not hesitate to go over every clause repeatedly before signing on the dotted line, make sure that there are no hidden costs, and that all the fine print is absolutely clear to you. You are entitled to know every little detail of the whiplash claim or any other kind of case, and every step your lawyer takes should be first scrutinized and approved by you; similarly, your solicitor is entitled to know every detail that you can furnish about the situation, without which it would be impossible for any professional to proceed with your case.