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How our fees work: no win, no fee, explained
Costs worry people more than almost anything else, so here is how our fees work in plain English. We explain everything in writing before you sign.
- Nothing to pay to start your claim
- One flat insurance cost, payable only if you win
- Everything confirmed in writing before you sign
How your claim is funded
Every claim we take on is funded in two parts. The first is a conditional fee agreement with us. The second is an insurance policy that protects you if the claim does not succeed. Both are explained below, and we go through them with you in writing before you sign anything. The SRA, which regulates solicitors, also publishes a consumer guide to no win, no fee agreements on its website.
Part one: your conditional fee agreement
A conditional fee agreement, or CFA, is the formal name for a no win, no fee arrangement. Our fees are payable only if your claim succeeds. If it does not, you do not pay our charges for the work done on your case.
If you win, we normally recover our legal costs from your landlord. When the landlord does not pay all of them, we may charge a success fee to cover the difference. The success fee is a percentage of our basic charges, and it can never be more than 25% of the damages you are awarded. You will see the exact figure in writing before you sign.
Part two: your insurance policy
To protect you if the claim fails, we arrange an after-the-event (ATE) insurance policy for you. The policy is designed to cover:
- Your opponent's legal costs, if a court orders you to pay them
- Your own disbursements, such as court fees and expert reports, if the claim does not succeed
What the insurance costs
The premium is a flat £425 plus Insurance Premium Tax (IPT), which comes to £476.00 at the current 12% rate. It is one fixed price. It is not charged in stages, so it does not go up however far your case goes. You only pay it if you win, and it is taken from your compensation.
What you pay if you win
- Most of your legal costs are paid by your landlord
- The insurance premium (£476.00 in total) is deducted from your compensation
- Any success fee is deducted from your compensation, up to the 25% cap
You keep the rest of your compensation. We show you the expected deductions in writing before your case ends.
What you pay if you lose
If your claim does not succeed and you have kept to your agreement with us, you do not pay our charges, and your insurance is designed to cover the other side's costs and the expenses it insures. That protection can be lost, and in a few situations you may have to pay our charges, as listed further down this page, so please read them.
How the funding is set up, step by step
1. Free case check
We look at your situation at no cost and tell you honestly whether you appear to have a claim.
2. Your agreement
If we take your case, we explain the agreement in plain English and you sign it. Nothing is payable up front. You have 14 days after signing to cancel without charge.
3. Insurance arranged
We put the insurance policy in place to protect you against the other side's costs.
4. We run your claim
We do the work and keep you updated. You pay nothing while the claim is running.
5. The outcome
If you win, costs are recovered and any capped deductions are explained to you. If you lose, you do not pay our charges, subject to the conditions below.
When your insurance cover may not apply
- You give us untrue or misleading information about your claim
- You stop co-operating with us, or do not follow our reasonable advice. In this case you may have to pay our charges
- You turn down a reasonable settlement offer against our advice and then recover less at trial
- You instructed another firm of solicitors on this claim before signing with us and did not tell us. In this case you may have to pay our charges
- You instruct another firm of solicitors on this claim after signing with us. In this case you may have to pay our charges
- You cancel the agreement. You can cancel without charge within the 14-day cooling-off period, but your insurance ends when you do
If any of these happen, you could become responsible for costs your insurance would otherwise have covered, and in some cases for our charges. We explain this again, in writing, before you sign.
Questions to ask any solicitor about costs
- Will I have to pay anything now?
- What happens to the fee if I win, and is there a cap on what comes out of my compensation?
- Is there insurance, who provides it, what does it cost and when is it paid?
- Could I be asked to pay my landlord's costs if I lose?
- What would stop the insurance covering me?
- In what circumstances would I have to pay your charges?
- Will you confirm all of this in writing before I sign?
Questions
Is it free to find out if I can claim?
Yes. The online check and our first call are free, with no obligation.
Will I pay anything if my claim does not succeed?
You do not pay our charges, provided you have kept to your agreement with us. Your insurance is designed to cover the other side's costs and the expenses it insures. That protection can be lost, and in a few situations you may have to pay our charges. Both are listed on this page.
How much is the insurance?
A flat £425 plus Insurance Premium Tax, which is £476.00 in total at the current 12% rate. It is a single fixed price, it is only payable if you win, and it is taken from your compensation.
Is there a limit on the success fee?
Yes. It can never be more than 25% of the damages you are awarded, and we confirm the exact figure in writing before you sign.
Ready to find out where you stand?
It takes about two minutes and there is no obligation.
Check my claimHow our fees work
Disrepair Claims Hub is a trading style of Equitas Solicitors Ltd. Our own solicitors handle every claim from start to finish, and we explain our fees in writing before you sign anything.
- Upfront: you pay nothing to start.
- If your claim succeeds: your landlord usually pays most of our costs. If it does not pay all of them, a success fee may apply, capped at 25% of your damages. The insurance premium, a flat £425 plus Insurance Premium Tax (£476.00 in total at the current 12% rate), is payable only if you win and comes out of your compensation. VAT [applies / does not apply] to our fees.
- If it does not succeed: you do not pay our charges, provided you have kept to your agreement with us. Your insurance is designed to cover the other side's costs and the expenses it insures. Cover can be lost in some situations, and in a few you may have to pay our charges. These are explained in the full guide.
- What's included: [list the stages covered], usually taking [X to Y months].
- Cooling-off: you have 14 days to cancel after signing without charge. If you cancel, your insurance ends too.
Complaints
We want to put things right. If you're unhappy, tell us at Enquiries@disrepairclaimshub.co.uk, on [phone] or in writing to [address]. We'll acknowledge your complaint within [X] working days and aim to reply within [Y] weeks. [Insert the steps of your procedure.]
If we can't resolve it, you can complain to the Legal Ombudsman, normally within six months of our final written response. [COLP to confirm current time limits.] You can also report concerns about our conduct to the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
Privacy notice
Equitas Solicitors Ltd is the data controller. We use the details you give us to assess your enquiry, contact you and, if you instruct us, handle your claim. Our lawful bases are [list them]. We share data only with [service providers, insurers, experts, courts] and keep it for [retention period]. If you upload photos or videos, we use them only to assess your claim, and they may contain location data.
You can ask to see, correct or delete your data, restrict or object to its use, or ask for a copy. Contact Enquiries@disrepairclaimshub.co.uk. You can also complain to the Information Commissioner's Office. We only send news and offers if you tick the optional box, and you can opt out at any time. [Replace with your full UK GDPR privacy notice.]
Who we are
Disrepair Claims Hub is a trading style of Equitas Solicitors Ltd, authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, SRA number 459787. Company number 5871121. Registered office: Muirfields Buildings, 5 Fairways Office Park, Pittman Way, Fulwood, Preston, Lancashire, PR2 9LF.