Guest blog post regarding the question of the potential demise of the ‘no win, no fee’ solicitor in the UK.
Can you guess who’s the champion of ‘no win, no fee’ solicitors? It’s probably not the first organisation that comes to mind, but amazingly enough, human rights organisation, Amnesty International, flooded the House of Lords with letters last year, asking them to preserve the role of ‘no win, no fee’ lawyers, after calls to reform were made in parliament. Legal Aid has also been attacked, in a bid to save £350 million every year.
Condemned as ‘ambulance-chasers’ and the reason for our ‘compensation culture’ by justice secretary, Kenneth Clarke, Amnesty protests that ‘no win, no fee’ court cases are responsible for protecting victims of human rights abuses.
‘No Win, No Fee’ Law And Human Rights
Without ‘no win, no fee’ solicitors, the lawyer’s success fee and the insurance premiums will be paid from the victim’s compensation, leaving little (if anything) left behind. This makes legal action financially unviable for many victims of human rights abuses, especially when the bad guys are large, wealthy corporations with bulletproof legal teams.
Amnesty International accused the government of hanging out a ‘carte blanche’ to powerful companies, but regardless, there were moves in parliament to turn this issue party-political. David Cameron mocked the Labour defence for being as irresponsibly opposed to any financial cuts as the Greek nation, whose economy nosedived last year – not once, but twice – and needed two large bailouts.
Knock-On Effects
Legal Aid and ‘no win, no fee’ solicitors provide a necessary financial net for many poor people across the country who can’t afford legal fees. With so many welfare cuts already, it’s becoming increasingly more difficult for financially struggling families to bring grievances to court. Justice shouldn’t just be available to the wealthy.
Disability charities are breathing a sigh of relief, now that it seems Legal Aid and ‘no win, no fee’ lawyers are safe. Living with a disability is already financially problematic as it is, without complicated court proceedings sinking these individuals and their families into further poverty.
Without ubiquitous access to the correct legal aid, the courts would be burdened with lengthy, poorly prepared tribunals, actually costing the government more money in the future, rather than saving expenditure. No matter what parliament says, the citizens advice bureau predicts that for every £1 that’s invested in legal aid, the state actually saves themselves £8.80 in the long-term! Keeping legal aid strong ultimately saves taxpayers’ money.
No Win, No Fee Benefits
If you have a claim, such as a personal injury that occurred at work (and was not your fault), no win, no fee is perfect. Not only do you not have to pay your lawyer if you lose, but if you take out insurance, you’ll be covered for further court charges, leaving even the poorest family with nothing to lose. You’ll only have to pay your lawyer if you win, and you can be sure that he or she will fight the good fight for you, as it’s the only way that your lawyer will get paid.
Jigsaw Law are specialist personal injury solicitors who focus on helping claimants through the process, reassuring the person involved over any aspect – they also, want to explore the changes which will be taking place in April regarding no win no fee and the opinions on them.
Please follow them on Twitter here @Jigsaw_Law or visit their address location at: Jigsaw Law, Pioneer House, Pioneer Business Park, North Road, Ellesmere Port, Cheshire CH65