What "no win, no fee" actually means.
A no win, no fee agreement — properly called a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA) — is a contract between you and your solicitor. It says:
- If you lose, you don't pay our legal fees.
- If you win, we take a "success fee" as a percentage of your compensation.
- Your landlord usually pays a separate contribution towards our base costs.
Our success fee.
Our success fee is 25% of your compensation, including VAT. This is capped by law at 25% of damages for personal injury elements.
Worked example
If you are awarded £10,000 and our success fee is 25%, we take £2,500 and you receive £7,500. Your landlord pays our base costs separately, on top.
We give you the exact figures in writing before you sign anything. There are no hidden charges, no admin fees, no "file opening" fees.
What if you lose?
If we lose your case, you don't pay us. But you could in theory be ordered to pay your landlord's legal costs — which is the genuine financial risk in any litigation. We protect you from this in two ways:
- We only take cases we believe will win. Around 95% of cases we open settle in the tenant's favour.
- We arrange After-The-Event (ATE) insurance for you. The premium is only payable if you win and is taken from your compensation. If you lose, the insurance covers the landlord's costs and you pay nothing.
The 14-day cooling-off period.
By law you have a 14-day cooling-off period after signing the agreement. You can cancel within that window for any reason, with no charge. Even after the 14 days, if we haven't done significant work, there is usually no charge to leave.
How to spot a bad claims management company.
Before signing anything with anyone — including us — check:
- Are they a regulated firm of solicitors? Look up their SRA number on the SRA website.
- Or are they a Claims Management Company (CMC)? CMCs are regulated by the FCA and can refer your claim to a panel solicitor, which adds a layer of fees.
- Is the agreement plain English? If you can't understand it in 10 minutes, walk away.
- Is the success fee stated clearly? If it isn't, walk away.
- Are you being pressured to sign on the doorstep or on the phone the same day? Walk away.
Free alternatives you should know about
We will always tell you if there's a cheaper or free way to get the same outcome. You don't have to use a solicitor. Your free alternatives are:
- Complain to your landlord using their formal complaints procedure
- Escalate to the Housing Ombudsman — free, can order compensation up to around £10,000
- Ask Newcastle City Council's Environmental Health team to inspect (for housing association or private tenants)
- Contact Shelter (0808 800 4444) or Citizens Advice Newcastle for free legal advice
When a solicitor is worth it.
A solicitor is generally worth it when the disrepair is severe, has caused health problems, has lasted a long time, or your landlord has repeatedly ignored you. The Ombudsman route is usually better for newer, simpler complaints. If we don't think we're the right option for you, we'll say so on day one.