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How much does no win no fee really cost?

Last year I slipped a disc in my back and had emergency surgery to remove part of it because it was cutting into my spinal cord.
 I have recently contacted a very well known no win no fee solicitor and they said they will take on the case. Yesterday they phoned me to to explain the "no win no fee" and the lady told me that if I win, they can take up to 40% of anything I'm awarded.
Is this normal? 40% seems like a lot to me.
She said that they have to take out an insurance policy (which I can understand) but that's over £1000. Then they have a success fee and another fee that I can't remember at the moment.
Any advice would be appreciated because I'm not really sure what to do 
Thanks 
«1

Comments

  • eddddy
    eddddy Posts: 17,899 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    edited 11 December 2020 at 12:44PM

    Who are you claiming from? What did they do that was negligent? Is it a fairly clear-cut case - were they clearly negligent?

    No win, no fee solicitors tend to only take on clear-cut cases. Sometimes, the first 'salesperson' you speak to sounds very enthusiastic - but when a 'legal' person finds out the details, they become less enthusiastic.
  • comeandgo
    comeandgo Posts: 5,930 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    Be very sure on what you may have to pay for, they may not take a fee but if you need any expert witnesses they may have a fee that needs paying.
  • dunstonh
    dunstonh Posts: 119,503 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    Is this normal? 40% seems like a lot to me.

    Seems about right for a no fee, no win option.  You always pay more on successful outcomes with no fee, no win arrangements.

    Dont forget that there is normally 20% VAT added to it as well.


    I am an Independent Financial Adviser (IFA). The comments I make are just my opinion and are for discussion purposes only. They are not financial advice and you should not treat them as such. If you feel an area discussed may be relevant to you, then please seek advice from an Independent Financial Adviser local to you.
  • You can guarantee the final total bill will be eye watering I had to use a no win company for a simple car bump a few years ago £500 if repaired for cash or £1200 if through other persons insurance company but they disputed liability. Final total bill after everyone had noses in the trough including hire vehicle at £120 a day (normal price £30)....£5100
  • TELLIT01
    TELLIT01 Posts: 17,891 Forumite
    Tenth Anniversary 10,000 Posts Name Dropper PPI Party Pooper
    Also be aware that if you sign up with one of these companies you generally can't then simply change your mind and walk away.  If you don't see it through you will be liable for all their costs.  Also confirm they don't have a minimum fee as I have read reports of people actually being out of pocket even when they win.  I don't know if those reports are accurate but should be checked.
  • Sandtree
    Sandtree Posts: 10,628 Forumite
    10,000 Posts Fourth Anniversary Name Dropper
    As is often the case the rules are complex and depends on the heads of claims, portal claims and non-portal claims etc. 40% is certainly high even if thats inclusive of the VAT but that doesnt mean its unreasonable. If you claim is going to be a disproportionate amount of work and is only just in the multi0track threshold (over £25,000) then you can get the higher end fees
  • eddddy said:

    Who are you claiming from? What did they do that was negligent? Is it a fairly clear-cut case - were they clearly negligent?
    No win, no fee solicitors tend to only take on clear-cut cases. Sometimes, the first 'salesperson' you speak to sounds very enthusiastic - but when a 'legal' person finds out the details, they become less enthusiastic.



    It was a work injury. I delivered heavy items around 60-70kg, sometimes more, usually in to cellars. I would manhandle it off the lorry and drop it on a mat on the pavement. I had a drivers mate but in the last year he stopped coming in, got the sack and was never replaced. Sometimes I would get help from someone in the yard if it wasn't busy but most of the time I was sent out by myself. This was the time my symptoms started and they got worse over the the next few months. 
  • tacpot12
    tacpot12 Posts: 9,214 Forumite
    Ninth Anniversary 1,000 Posts Name Dropper
    eddddy said:

    Who are you claiming from? What did they do that was negligent? Is it a fairly clear-cut case - were they clearly negligent?
    No win, no fee solicitors tend to only take on clear-cut cases. Sometimes, the first 'salesperson' you speak to sounds very enthusiastic - but when a 'legal' person finds out the details, they become less enthusiastic.



    It was a work injury. I delivered heavy items around 60-70kg, sometimes more, usually in to cellars. I would manhandle it off the lorry and drop it on a mat on the pavement. I had a drivers mate but in the last year he stopped coming in, got the sack and was never replaced. Sometimes I would get help from someone in the yard if it wasn't busy but most of the time I was sent out by myself. This was the time my symptoms started and they got worse over the the next few months. 
    It's not clear that there is negligence there, or if there is, the negligence could be on your part. The manual handling training you will have been given should ensure that you don't try to lift anything that is "too" heavy. So it's going to be a difficult case. 40% seems like a lot to me, but if you can't afford to pay the solicitors yourself you might have to accept it. 

    Please heed the warning about the not being able to get out of the contract - you have to see it through regardless of how long it takes or how unpleasant your employer's solicitor is about you - they are going to try to make it your fault. Are you up to refuting this if it takes a couple of years to get through the courts? 
    The comments I post are my personal opinion. While I try to check everything is correct before posting, I can and do make mistakes, so always try to check official information sources before relying on my posts.
  • I wasn't given any manual handling training, just a couple of posters on the walls.
    My lorry would be loaded by forklift usually quite full without a lot of space to unload and the heavy items would be double stacked. I would have to lift them off and either put them on the floor of the lorry and roll them off or if I had no room to maneuver just drop them off the side of the lorry. I was also expected to lift returns back onto the vehicle. 

    I haven't signed any contract yet, just received the paperwork and received a couple of phone calls after the initial call I made. 
  • Can you not use the legal expenses cover on your home insurance ??

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