No Win No Fee reforms in England and Wales

In England and Wales it has been suggested that Lawyers who take on “No Win, No Fee” civil cases should no longer receive their costs from the Defenders but instead they should get a share of the client’s compensation.

Lord Justice Jackson was asked to investigate and review matters with a view to making recommendations which would promote access to justice “at a proportionate cost”.

Lord Justice Jackson reported that the current system was not benefiting the public and he found that in some cases the fees paid to lawyers was more than 1,000% of the compensation actually received.  He reported that reforms could save millions of pounds in costs.

The government have advised that they are going to consider the significant recommendations.  Lord Justice Jackson suggested that there should be a 25% limit on the share of damages paid to lawyers in a successful claim.  This will obviously benefit the Defenders more than the claimants but in an attempt to rectify this, the report has also called for a 10% rise in the level of compensation paid out to ensure claimants are still properly compensation.

The Master of the Rolls ordered a review in 2008 to address judiciary concerns about the rising costs of civil litigation.

At the moment the review only covers England and Wales and it is not clear whether or not Scotland will end up with similar recommendations.

It is common to see percentage claims companies making deductions of 20%, 30% and even 40% from your compensation claim. At Thompsons, that fee will never however go above 10% of your compensation that is even with the most difficult, costly and risky case.   That is Thompsons promise to you and everyone else.

If you have had an accident, even if you are unsure whether you would be able to claim, contact our No Win No Fee lawyers today on 0800 0891331 and we can investigate matters for you and advise you on your first step towards receiving compensation.

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