Quittance or Irwin Mitchell - Who is best?

Getting_By_2

Hi.

I have had a personal injury at work and I can't decide which company to ring for advice.

Has anyone used either of these?

Thanks.

aife

Sorry I can't answer your question as I haven't used either of these firms.
I just wanted to say you need to be very careful with 'No win , no fee' companies.
Check the terms and charges very carefully. There have been a few cases where people have won their case but the fees charged have wiped out their winnings , in some cases leaving them with ruinous debts

steampowered

Quittance is not actually a law firm. It is a broker. They simply pass your details to a law firm and charge the law firm for the privilege.

Irwin Mitchell on the other hand is a law firm.

Personally I would try Irwin Mitchell first. But there is no harm in speaking to more than one firm, and instructing the firm which seems to be offering the best service.

sangie595

Employment tribunals are great judges if you win. Lousy and biased if you don't. The best lawyer is the one that won. The worst the one that didn't. In other words, no recommendation from somewhere else makes your case good! Or not good....

jamesperrett

I presume you aren't in a union... I keep seeing ads for Thompsons on my Twitter feed for some reason - apparently they are Unite's official solicitors. I would certainly not go with a firm picked at random from the internet.

Getting_By_2

Hi.


Yes I have heard that you can end up owing thousands to solicitors even if they do not take your case up, so I have been a bit cautious about approaching one.


That is interesting info about Thompson's. I'd never heard of them before.


Yes I am in a Union and I have just checked out their website and I think I might be covered. I think it might be Thompson. I will ring tomorrow morning and have a chat.


If that is a dead end I think I will try Irwin Mitchell.


Thanks.

steampowered

When I used to do regular pro-bono work, I helped a number of people who were being sued by former solicitors for unpaid fees following no-win-no-fee claims.

In all cases it was entirely the fault of the individuals concerned. Either for blatantly lying to their solicitor at the outset of the claim. Or failing to co-operate with the solicitor to progress the claim (e.g. by refusing to be interviewed to give a witness statement or refusing to be contacted). Or in one case decided to switch firms at the last minute (leaving the firm who did most of the work unpaid).

The whole basis of a no-win-no-fee arrangement is that you have to give the solicitor a chance to earn their fee. Not pull the rug from under them after they've worked hard on your case. If you just read your no-win-no-fee agreement you will be very clear on what your responsibilities are.

If you are sensible, and don't lie or refuse to co-operate, you will be fine.

aife

http://https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/no-win-no-fee-battle-cost-me-300-000-3stlfcr72

steampowered

The article is behind a paywall so it is difficult to comment on what actually happened.