Funding Options for Dispute Resolution

When a dispute arises the last thing you want to worry about is how you will pay your solicitor's bills. There are a number of options that may be open to you:

Conditional Fee Agreements

CFAs, often called "no win no fee agreements", are becoming more widely used. If we consider that you have a good case, we may take your case on a CFA basis. We would not bill you for our time until the conclusion of the case. You may, however, have to pay us to review your case (so that we can decide whether to take on the risk of a CFA cases) and you may have to refund ’Äúdisbursements’Äù (payments we make on your behalf to others, such as experts and barristers) before the case is concluded. Contact us and we can advise you whether your case may be suitable for this type of funding.

Before the Event Insurance

An increasing number of businesses have legal expenses cover. We have been able to persuade a number of insurers to allow us to act for our clients under their existing legal expenses policy as opposed to the insurance company demanding the case is handled by their in-house or panel solicitors.

After the Event Insurance

If we consider you have good chance of winning your claim it may be possible for you to buy insurance. This insurance is to protect you in the event that you do not win your claim and the Court orders you to pay your opponent's costs. This type of insurance can also cover you against having to pay your own solicitor's costs if you lose the claim. We can advise you about the suitability of your case for such cover.

Small claims

For most disputes which have a value of less than £5,000 it is not possible to recover your legal fees even if you win your case at court. Such cases are not suitable for CFAs or After the Event Insurance. If you have a Small Claims case we will be happy to advise you about the work involved in taking the claim to final hearing and to agree a fixed fee with you for specific work: you may want us to draft the Claim and the witness statements but leave you to deal with the hearing, for example. This would help keep down your legal costs.

Legal Aid

Various government schemes are run by the Legal Services Commission. Legal aid is not available for every kind of legal dispute and eligibility depends on financial means. We do not, in any event, work for publicly funded clients.

For further information please contact Chris Murratt or a member of the team on 0115 9 100 216 or email enquiries@actons.co.uk.