The government are cracking down on personal injury claims, and the first upset to the system will be the changes to the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012. It essentially means that if you are looking to make a claim for compensation through a no win no fee agreement or legal aid you need to do so before the 1st April 2013.
Currently, legal aid gives monetary aid to help those in need so that everyone who needs to can access justice – no matter what their financial situation. This money comes from the government and there are certain requirements a claimant needs to meet in order to be eligible. No win no fee arrangements do exactly what they say on the tin and are offered by solicitors’ firms to clients on the proviso that if the case isn’t successful no fees will be paid. In both cases there is less risk for the claimant as all fees are covered by the defendant if the result is positive and there are no fees if the result is negative.
The changes coming into effect in April 2013 will change the set up slightly. Although no win no fee arrangements will still be available and you’ll pay no fees if you lose your case, the difference will be that if you win the case you will have to pay the fees yourself rather than laying the responsibility on the defendant. With this in mind up to 25% of your success fees may need to be used to pay your solicitors and legal team.
This is why if you’re looking to claim it is best to act now before the changes come into play, allowing you to take 100% of your compensation home.
