What is a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA)?

If you’re thinking about making a personal injury or medical negligence claim, you may have come across the term Conditional Fee Agreement – also known as a “No Win, No Fee” arrangement. But what exactly does that mean?

A Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA) is a way of funding your legal claim without paying any upfront legal fees. It means that, in most circumstances, you will only pay your solicitor if your claim is successful.

If you win your case, part of your compensation will go towards covering the legal costs.
If you don’t win, you won’t have to pay any fees as long as you comply with your obligations under the CFA.

That’s why it’s often called “No Win, No Fee.”

How Does It Work?

1. Free Initial Assessment
   We’ll assess your claim at no cost and advise whether we consider there are sufficient prospects of success to offer you a Conditional Fee Agreement.
2. You Sign a CFA (a ‘no win no fee’ agreement)
   If we agree to take your case on following our initial assessment, we will send you the necessary paperwork for you to consider and then, if necessary, arrange a further meeting to discuss everything with you prior to signing the Conditional Fee Agreement. The paperwork we send sets out the terms of the CFA and explains how the fees work.
3. We Handle the Claim
   Once the CFA is signed, our legal team will work on your case, gathering evidence, and negotiating with the other side on your behalf.
4. If You Win
   • The other side usually pays most of your legal costs in addition to any compensation.
   • A success fee will be deducted from your compensation, along with any shortfall in costs recovered from the other side. These fees will be discussed with you in advance and we will cap these fees at a fixed percentage of your compensation which will be agreed at the beginning of your case.
   • You may also need to pay an insurance premium if you asked us to take out After the Event (ATE) insurance to cover other risks and expenses in your case.
5. If You Lose
   • You won’t pay us anything for our time.
   • Any expenses incurred whilst investigating your claim will be covered by the After the Event (ATE) insurance.
   • You will not be responsible for the other side’s legal costs as long as you have provided us with consistent instructions throughout and as long as no finding of Fundamental Dishonesty has been made against you by the Court.

What Does the Success Fee Cover?

The success fee is a percentage of your compensation – it reflects the risk we take in handling your claim without guaranteed payment. This percentage is capped by law at no more than 25% of your compensation for your pain and suffering, and any past financial losses.

We will always explain the fee clearly before you sign anything.

We’re Here to Help

We know making a claim can feel overwhelming – especially if you’re dealing with an injury or recovering from medical negligence. Our team is here to make the process as straightforward, supportive, and transparent as possible.

Get in touch today for a free, no-obligation consultation and find out if you could claim on a No Win, No Fee basis.