How No Win No Fee changed the legal system

One of the biggest changes to the legal system came about when legal aid for the great majority of personal injury claims was abolished in 2000, leaving those that wished to pursue compensation claims with little option but to find an alternative avenue of support down which to turn. It was then that the systems of no win no fee claims really began and this was considered to be the time when the legal system in England and Wales changed. The no win no fee is correctly known as a conditional fee arrangement, principally because a fee was agreed at the outset!

There was a misconception, both at the time and currently, that you could win or lose at no cost to you. This is not so because when a person entered into a no win no fee, or conditional fee arrangement, the solicitor acting for them would take on the case if he considered that there was a good likelihood of success, for an agreed fee, usually an aftermarket insurance premium. If they won their claim, the solicitor acting for them earns their fee and usually a success fee (bonus) from the opposing party, typically an insurance company. The winning party should also keep 100% of any compensation sum awarded to them!

The legal system changed after the no win no fee system came into being in 1995 with the end of the legal aid system being available for Personal Injury cases. This stopped the process of having to apply for means tested access to legal help for personal injury claims and it is now at the discretion of your chosen solicitor whether they take your case on a conditional fee arrangement or CFA basis. CFA’s have levelled the playing field regarding access to the compensation and changed the legal system for all, rich and poor!