Personal Disputes FAQs
Our specialist personal dispute department has compiled a selection of the most frequently asked questions.
What funding options are available?
Legal Aid is only rarely available in Civil Litigation and we generally charge based on an hourly rate. However in some circumstances we may be able to agree a contingency fee (often described erroneously as no win no fee) and others may be covered by Legal Expenses Insurance.
What matters do we deal with?
In many ways Civil Litigation is the broadest area of law and we cover all sectors. This ranges from unpaid debts to Landlord and Tenant to Professional Negligence to Property Disputes and many others aside.
How do we resolve matters?
We can act for you in a variety of ways and resolve many matters without any need to go to Court. A letter from a solicitor can do wonders in getting a debtor to pay or someone blocking a Right of Way to clear the obstruction.
How much is it likely to cost on an hourly rate?
The general position is that the loser pays the winner’s reasonable legal costs. Therefore if you win there is a decent possibility of you doing so without paying a penny and conversely if you lose you will probably have to pay any damages awarded, your own legal fees and the other side’s legal fees. This is not however an absolute rule as it is possible to win on some issues and lose on others or for the court to exercise a discretion not to award costs.
How long will it take?
Unfortunately the only answer we can give to this involves guessing the length of a piece of string. Some matters will settle immediately and others will be fought to a Trial and possibly an Appeal. Unfortunately if it is to be the latter it could take years to resolve due to the Court’s heavy workload.
