No Win No Fee: What It Means, What You Pay and What You Don't
No win no fee is a funding agreement between you and a solicitor for a personal injury claim, under which you pay nothing upfront, nothing to your solicitor if the claim fails, and a success fee capped by law at 25% of your compensation if it succeeds; National Accident Support Line does not run injury claims itself but assesses your claim and refers it to a specialist solicitor who takes it on under this kind of agreement.
Most people have heard the phrase and few know what it actually commits them to. The honest version is short. If your claim fails, you pay your solicitor nothing. If it succeeds, the solicitor takes a percentage, agreed in writing before the claim starts and capped by law, and any insurance premium comes out too. The rest of this page covers the detail, including the catch people ask about and when you could still owe money.
We'll call you back within 2 minutes with a straight answer on where you stand.
What no win no fee means
The formal name is a conditional fee agreement, or CFA. (A less common version, a damages-based agreement, works on the same principle with the fee set as a percentage of what you recover.) The solicitor agrees to run your claim and only to be paid if it succeeds. If it does, their basic costs are recovered from the other side's insurer, and a success fee is deducted from your compensation. Since 2013 that success fee has been capped at 25% of the compensation for your injury and your past losses; it cannot touch money awarded for future care or future loss of earnings.
If an injury claim fails, you pay your solicitor nothing, and the rules on injury claims generally protect you from paying the other side's legal costs too, unless the claim is found to be dishonest. Many solicitors also arrange after-the-event insurance to cover expenses such as medical reports and court fees; where they do, the premium is usually deducted from your compensation if you win, on top of the success fee, and nothing is payable if you lose.
What you pay, in one table
| If the claim | You pay the solicitor | You pay the other side | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Succeeds | The success fee, up to 25% of your injury and past-loss compensation, plus any after-the-event insurance premium, all agreed in advance | Nothing | Deducted from the compensation before it reaches you |
| Fails | Nothing | Generally nothing in an injury claim, unless it is found to be dishonest | Expenses are covered by the solicitor or the insurance |
| Is withdrawn by you without good reason | Possibly the solicitor's costs to that point | Possibly | Set out in the agreement; read that clause before signing |
| Settles early | The same success fee rules apply | Nothing | Deducted from the settlement |
What National Accident Support Line does, and doesn't
NASL is an FCA-regulated claims management company, not a law firm. On an injury claim we do two things: we assess whether you have a claim worth pursuing, and we refer it to a specialist solicitor for that kind of injury, who runs it under a no win no fee agreement. We are paid a recommendation fee by the solicitor; nothing is charged to you for the referral. Where a vehicle was involved and the accident wasn't your fault, we handle the vehicle side ourselves: a like-for-like replacement and the repair, with the costs recovered from the at-fault driver's insurer. That part is not a no win no fee arrangement and is explained on the credit hire page.
We'll call you back within 2 minutes with a straight answer on where you stand.
The questions people are nervous to ask
"What's the catch with no win no fee?"
The catch is the deductions, not the risk. If you win, the success fee comes out of your compensation, and if there is an after-the-event insurance premium, that comes out too, on top. On low-value road traffic claims, where the legal costs the other side pays are fixed and small, some firms deduct more than 25% in total. None of that is hidden if you ask: the percentage, the premium and the total should all be in the agreement before you sign. If a firm can't tell you on day one what you'd keep from a successful claim, that's the hidden cost.
"Can I still end up owing money?"
In an injury claim, rarely. You pay your solicitor nothing if the claim fails, and you are generally protected from the other side's costs. The exceptions are a claim found to be dishonest, pulling out without good reason, or turning down a reasonable settlement offer and then doing worse at trial, which can mean some of the other side's costs come out of your damages. The agreement sets these out, which is why it's worth reading.
"Is 25% the same at every firm?"
No. 25% is the maximum the law allows. Some firms charge less. The percentage is a term of the agreement, not a fixed rule, and it is worth asking what it is.
"Does no win no fee apply to the replacement car?"
No. The vehicle side of a non-fault claim works differently: the hire and repair charges are recovered from the at-fault driver's insurer rather than deducted from anything you receive. No success fee applies to it.
Which claims can be run on no win no fee
Almost any personal injury claim where someone else was at fault: road traffic accidents, accidents at work, accidents in a public place, motorbike accidents, injuries to children, and serious injuries including spinal and head injuries. The solicitor assesses the prospects before agreeing to take the claim on, which is why a claim accepted on no win no fee is usually a claim with a reasonable chance.
How it works with National Accident Support Line
Tell us what happened, by the form, WhatsApp or a call to 0333 212 2730, and web enquiries are called back within 2 minutes during opening hours. We ask what happened, who was at fault and what evidence exists. If there is a claim, we refer it to a specialist solicitor who explains the no win no fee terms to you before anything is signed. If there isn't, we tell you straight. The personal injury claims page explains what every injury claim involves.
Frequently asked questions
What does no win no fee mean?
You pay nothing upfront and nothing if your claim fails. If it succeeds, the solicitor's success fee, capped at 25% of your injury and past-loss compensation and agreed in writing before the claim starts, is deducted from the award.
Do I pay anything if I lose?
Not to your solicitor, and in an injury claim you are generally protected from the other side's costs unless the claim is found to be dishonest. Any after-the-event insurance premium is only payable if you win.
What percentage do no win no fee solicitors take?
Up to 25% of your compensation for the injury and past losses as a success fee, which is the legal cap. Some firms take less. An insurance premium may be deducted on top, and on low-value road traffic claims some firms deduct more in total, so ask for the full figure in writing.
Is the 25% taken from everything?
No. The cap applies to compensation for the injury and past losses. Future care and future loss of earnings are protected.
Does National Accident Support Line charge me?
No. We are paid a recommendation fee by the solicitor we refer your claim to. There is no charge to you for the referral.
Can I change solicitor?
Yes, though the agreement may set out costs for work already done. Get advice before switching.
How long does a no win no fee claim take?
Straightforward claims settle in months. Disputed or serious claims take longer because the medical picture has to settle before the claim can be valued.
We'll call you back within 2 minutes with a straight answer on where you stand.
National Accident Support Line Ltd is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority in respect of regulated claims management activities, registration number 829991.