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No Win No Fee · England & Wales

No Win No Fee Claims Explained

How Conditional Fee Agreements work in England and Wales — what you pay, when you pay it, and how you're protected if your claim doesn't succeed.

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No Win No Fee: The law limits our success fee to 25% of the compensation for pain, suffering and loss of amenity and for past financial losses, after any state benefits are repaid. Compensation for future losses is not counted. If you win, our success fee is deducted from your compensation. It is a percentage of our basic charges, and the law limits it as set out above. Any After the Event insurance premium is payable only if you win, and is never charged upfront. Your letter of engagement sets out exactly what you will pay for your type of claim, and we explain it before you sign. If you lose, you pay us nothing. This applies as long as you keep to your responsibilities under the agreement. You may have to pay costs if you end your claim early, fail to beat an offer the other side made, or a court finds your claim dishonest or exaggerated; where we have arranged After the Event insurance, it covers some of these costs if you keep to the policy's terms. See exactly what you pay.

Written by Leanne Henton, Head of Personal Injury and Medical Negligence.
Reviewed by Leanne Henton on .
In short

A No Win No Fee claim — formally a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA) — means you pay nothing upfront and nothing for your solicitor's work if your claim is unsuccessful. If you win, our success fee is deducted from your compensation. Most personal injury claimants are also protected from the other side's costs by QOCS.

£0
Upfront cost
4.7
Google
£10m+
Recovered 2025–26
More than 200 years
Combined legal experience
SRA
Regulated · No. 8006550

Figures verified with NJS Law on 9 November 2026. The £10m+ figure is the damages recovered for our clients in 2025–26. Figures are compensation before any deductions.

On this page

No Win No Fee at a glance

Upfront costNothing — no upfront fees and no hourly rates
If your claim failsYou pay nothing for our legal work
If your claim succeedsIf you win, our success fee is deducted from your compensation.
The other side's costsMost personal injury claimants are protected by QOCS. Where we arrange After the Event insurance, it covers the other side's costs and your disbursements if you lose, on the policy's terms.
Legal basisCourts and Legal Services Act 1990 · LASPO 2012
Cooling-off period14 days after signing

What do I pay if I win, and what if I lose?

The law limits our success fee to 25% of the compensation for pain, suffering and loss of amenity and for past financial losses, after any state benefits are repaid. Compensation for future losses is not counted. If you win, our success fee is deducted from your compensation. It is a percentage of our basic charges, and the law limits it as set out above. Any After the Event insurance premium is payable only if you win, and is never charged upfront. Your letter of engagement sets out exactly what you will pay for your type of claim, and we explain it before you sign. If you lose, you pay us nothing. This applies as long as you keep to your responsibilities under the agreement. You may have to pay costs if you end your claim early, fail to beat an offer the other side made, or a court finds your claim dishonest or exaggerated; where we have arranged After the Event insurance, it covers some of these costs if you keep to the policy's terms.

Worked example on a £5,000 award
Worked exampleAmount
Compensation for your pain, suffering and past losses£5,000
Our success fee, at most£1,250
Insurance premium, if your claim has After the Event insuranceVaries; we tell you the exact figure before you sign
You keep, at least£3,750, less any insurance premium and any other amount your letter of engagement sets out

How the figures work: by law our success fee can be no more than 25% of the £5,000, which is £1,250, and that includes VAT (Conditional Fee Agreements Order 2013, article 5, and its explanatory note). The example assumes all £5,000 is for pain, suffering and past losses, and that none of it has to be paid back for state benefits. Your letter of engagement sets out exactly what you will pay.

Can I change my mind after signing?

Yes. You can cancel within 14 days of signing, free of charge. We explain your right to cancel, and how to do it, before you sign.

What questions do people ask before they sign?

Is there a limit on how much of my compensation you take?
Yes. The law limits our success fee to 25% of the compensation for pain, suffering and loss of amenity and for past financial losses, after any state benefits are repaid. Compensation for future losses is not counted. Your letter of engagement sets out exactly what you will pay for your type of claim, and we explain it before you sign.
What if I want to change solicitor part-way through?
You can change solicitor at any time; the choice is yours. If you end your agreement with us after the 14-day cancellation period, you pay our charges and expenses for the work done on your claim so far, and a success fee as well if your claim goes on to win. Your letter of engagement explains when these are paid. We pass your file to your new solicitor once what you owe us is paid, or once your new solicitor agrees to pay it.
Who pays the insurance premium, and is it deducted from my compensation?
If we arrange After the Event insurance for you, its premium is payable only if your claim succeeds and is never charged to you upfront. It is deducted from your compensation at settlement, and your letter of engagement sets out what you will pay. Disbursements, such as fees for medical reports and records, are your responsibility, but we pay them for you as your claim goes on. If you win, we usually recover them from the other side, though not always all of them. If you lose, they are covered by your After the Event insurance where your claim has it, as long as you have followed our advice and cooperated with your claim. Your letter of engagement explains what you pay if a disbursement is not recovered or covered.
Are there any other costs I could be asked to pay?
If you win, you pay our success fee and any insurance premium out of your compensation; your letter of engagement sets out the amounts for your type of claim, and we explain them before you sign. If you lose, you pay us nothing. This applies as long as you keep to your responsibilities under the agreement. You may have to pay costs if you end your claim early, fail to beat an offer the other side made, or a court finds your claim dishonest or exaggerated; where we have arranged After the Event insurance, it covers some of these costs if you keep to the policy's terms. Disbursements, such as fees for medical reports and records, are your responsibility, but we pay them for you as your claim goes on. If you win, we usually recover them from the other side, though not always all of them. If you lose, they are covered by your After the Event insurance where your claim has it, as long as you have followed our advice and cooperated with your claim. Your letter of engagement explains what you pay if a disbursement is not recovered or covered.
Do I have to accept an offer my solicitor recommends?
No. Whether to accept an offer is always your decision. We advise you on every offer and explain why. If you turn down an offer we advised you to accept, we can end our agreement, and your letter of engagement explains what you would then pay. If the other side made a formal offer under the court rules (a Part 36 offer) and the court later awards you less, you will usually have to pay their legal costs from the end of the time you had to accept it. In most personal injury claims, what they can recover from you is limited to the compensation, interest and costs you are awarded. After the Event insurance, where your claim has it, may cover those costs, but it may not cover you if you went against our advice.
What does the 14-day cancellation actually cover?
You can cancel within 14 days of signing, free of charge. We explain your right to cancel, and how to do it, before you sign.

What is a No Win No Fee claim?

A No Win No Fee claim — formally a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA) — means you only pay legal fees if your claim succeeds. You pay nothing upfront, and if you lose you pay us nothing. Since legal aid was withdrawn from most personal injury cases by LASPO 2012, CFAs have become the main way personal injury claims are funded in England and Wales.

If your claim succeeds

If you win, our success fee is deducted from your compensation. It is a percentage of our basic charges, and the law limits it as set out above. The rest of your compensation, after the deductions in your letter of engagement, is paid to you.

If your claim does not succeed

You pay nothing for NJS Law's legal work. In most personal injury cases, QOCS also protects you from paying the other side's costs. It does not apply if a claim is struck out or found to be fundamentally dishonest, and some costs can be taken from compensation you do recover, for example if you turn down an offer you later fail to beat.

How is No Win No Fee regulated?

Two Acts of Parliament give you clear statutory protections:

In force since 1990

Courts and Legal Services Act 1990

First authorised Conditional Fee Agreements in England and Wales — the legal foundation for No Win No Fee claims.

LASPO 2012

Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012

Removed legal aid from most personal injury cases. Qualified One-Way Costs Shifting (QOCS) was added to the court rules in April 2013 as part of the same reforms, protecting most claimants from the other side's costs.

Which claims can be No Win No Fee?

No Win No Fee is available where someone owed you a duty of care, breached it, and caused you injury or loss.

Personal injuryPublic places, slips and trips, occupiers' liability Accident at workUnsafe conditions, defective equipment, lack of training Road traffic accidentsCar, motorcycle, cycling, pedestrian and passenger Serious injuryCatastrophic and life-changing injuries Medical negligenceSubstandard NHS or private treatment Dental negligenceFailed treatment and missed diagnosis

What can I claim compensation for?

Type of lossWhat's included
General damagesPain, suffering and loss of amenity — the impact on your quality of life
Lost earningsPast and future loss of income caused by the injury
Medical expensesTreatment, prescriptions, physiotherapy, surgery and specialist appointments
Care costsProfessional or unpaid family care during recovery
Travel costsJourneys to medical appointments and hearings
Property damageDamaged belongings
Future lossesOngoing care, future lost earnings, home adaptations

The No Win No Fee claims process

1

Free case assessment

Eligibility and likely value — at no cost or obligation.

2

Funding agreement

CFA set up, success fee agreed, ATE arranged where required.

3

Evidence gathering

Photos, witnesses, reports, records — even if you don't have it all yet.

4

Medical assessment

An independent report values your claim properly.

5

Letter of Claim

We formally notify the defendant or their insurer.

6

Negotiation & settlement

Most claims settle without court proceedings.

7

Compensation paid

Settlement breakdown confirmed and every deduction explained before payment.

How long does a No Win No Fee claim take?

Claim typeTypical timeframe
Minor whiplash (Official Injury Claim portal)3–6 months
Road traffic accident (standard)9–18 months
Personal injury (employer / public liability)12–24 months
Medical or dental negligence18 months – 3 years
Serious or catastrophic injury2–5 years

Disputed liability typically adds 6–12 months.

After the Event (ATE) insurance explained

ATE insurance is taken out after an incident. Where we arrange After the Event insurance, it covers the other side's costs and your disbursements if you lose, on the policy's terms.

What ATE covers

The other side's legal costs if your claim fails
Your own disbursements, such as medical report and court fees, if your claim fails and you have kept to the policy's terms

How the premium works

Only payable if your claim succeeds
Usually paid out of your compensation if you win; in medical negligence claims part of it can be recovered from the other side
Never charged to you upfront

Why it matters

QOCS protects most PI claimants already
Where we arrange After the Event insurance, it covers the other side's costs and your disbursements if you lose, on the policy's terms.
Legal Lingo

The latest Legal Lingo

All Legal Lingo terms
Legal LingoConditional Fee Agreement (CFA)

The legal name for a No Win No Fee agreement.

Read more
Legal LingoSuccess fee

If you win, our success fee is deducted from your compensation. It is a percentage of our basic charges, and the law limits it as set out above.

Read more
Legal LingoQOCS

Qualified One-Way Costs Shifting — protects most PI claimants from paying the other side's costs if they lose.

Read more
Legal LingoATE insurance

Where we arrange After the Event insurance, it covers the other side's costs and your disbursements if you lose, on the policy's terms.

Read more
Legal LingoDisbursements

Expenses paid out during a claim, such as medical report and court fees.

Read more
Legal LingoCooling-off period

The 14 days after signing in which you can cancel your agreement free of charge.

Read more

No Win No Fee: frequently asked questions

Does No Win No Fee mean I pay absolutely nothing?
You pay nothing upfront and nothing if your claim is unsuccessful. If it succeeds, a success fee is deducted from your compensation. We explain the exact amount before you sign the Conditional Fee Agreement.
What is a success fee and how is it calculated?
A success fee is a charge on top of our basic charges that we take only if your claim succeeds, because if you lose we are paid nothing. It is a percentage of our basic charges, and the percentage is higher if court proceedings are issued and higher again if the claim settles close to trial or goes to trial. We agree the success fee with you in advance. Your letter of engagement sets out exactly what you will pay for your type of claim, and we explain it before you sign.
What is ATE insurance and do I need it?
After the Event (ATE) insurance protects you against the other side's legal costs and your own disbursements, such as medical report fees, if your claim is unsuccessful, as long as you keep to the policy's terms. In most personal injury cases, QOCS already protects you from paying the other side's costs if you lose, but ATE provides additional protection, particularly for medical negligence and complex claims. NJS Law arranges ATE insurance on your behalf where required, and the premium is only payable if your claim succeeds.
Can I cancel a No Win No Fee agreement?
Yes. You have the right to cancel a Conditional Fee Agreement within a 14-day cooling-off period after signing, free of charge. NJS Law explains your cancellation rights clearly before you sign.
What happens if I lose my No Win No Fee claim?
If your claim is unsuccessful, you pay nothing for NJS Law's legal fees. In most personal injury cases, QOCS protects you from paying the other side's costs. Where we arrange After the Event insurance, it covers the other side's costs and your disbursements if you lose, on the policy's terms. This applies as long as you keep to your responsibilities under the agreement. You may have to pay costs if you end your claim early, fail to beat an offer the other side made, or a court finds your claim dishonest or exaggerated; where we have arranged After the Event insurance, it covers some of these costs if you keep to the policy's terms. NJS Law advises you on your own costs position before you go ahead with any claim.
Is No Win No Fee available for all types of claim?
No Win No Fee is available for personal injury, road traffic accident, medical negligence and dental negligence claims where there are reasonable prospects of success.

Legal sources referenced on this page

  • Courts and Legal Services Act 1990
  • Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (LASPO)
  • Civil Procedure Rules — Qualified One-Way Costs Shifting (QOCS)
  • Conditional Fee Agreements Order 2013, article 5 (the legal limit on the success fee)

Legally reviewed by Leanne Henton, Head of Personal Injury and Medical Negligence, NJS Law. Last reviewed 2026-11-10. General information for England & Wales — not legal advice.

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