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Choosing a No Win No Fee Solicitor in England and Wales: 8 Questions to Ask First
How Do You Choose the Right No Win No Fee Solicitor?
What You Need to Know
The most important things to remember when choosing a no win no fee solicitor are:
- A genuine no win no fee solicitor charges nothing if the claim fails
- The success fee is capped at 25% of compensation under LASPO 2012
- Carter and Carter charges 10% when claims settle without court proceedings
- Claimants have three years from the date of injury under the Limitation Act 1980
- The solicitor who handles the claim personally determines the outcome
Choosing a no win no fee solicitor in England and Wales requires asking specific questions before signing a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA). The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) regulates all personal injury solicitors, but regulation alone does not guarantee transparency about fees, who handles the claim, or whether After the Event (ATE) insurance is genuinely necessary. The eight questions below separate firms that prioritise the client’s interests from those that do not.
Carter and Carter Solicitors, founded in 2007 and based in Whaley Bridge, Derbyshire, handles personal injury claims across England and Wales through two senior solicitors: Chris Carter (qualified 1993) and David Healey (qualified 2005). The firm publishes its conditional fee at 10% when claims settle without court proceedings. 250 verified five-star Google reviews confirm the standard of service described below.
These questions work for any firm. Including Carter and Carter. The firm publishes them because they expose its competitors, not its own practice. Confidence in the answers is the point.
What “no win no fee” actually means before you sign
A no win no fee agreement, formally called a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA), means the client pays nothing to the solicitor if the claim fails. If the claim succeeds, a success fee is deducted from the compensation. In personal injury claims across England and Wales, that fee is capped at 25% of general damages and past losses under the Legal Aid, Sentencing and Punishment of Offenders Act 2012 (LASPO).
The agreement must be in writing. Any firm that is reluctant to provide the CFA in advance, or that pressures you to sign on a call before reading it, has already answered one of the most important questions you need to ask.
Before signing, there are eight questions every claimant should ask. Every genuinely good firm will answer them clearly and specifically. Claims factories will not.
What to Do Before Choosing a No Win No Fee Solicitor
1. Check SRA registration at the SRA Solicitors Register to confirm the firm is regulated.
2. Read recent Google reviews carefully, focusing on what happened when claims got complicated, not just star ratings.
3. Ask the eight questions below before signing anything. Write down the answers.
4. Request the CFA in writing and read it in full before committing.
Any firm reluctant to provide clear answers to these steps has already answered the most important question.
The Insider’s Guide
Eight questions to ask before you sign anything
For each question, the guide explains what a trustworthy firm’s answer looks like and what a red flag answer sounds like.
Question 1
“Who will be handling my claim on a day-to-day basis, and can I speak to that person before I decide?”
✓ Good answer
Names a specific solicitor. Confirms that person is your day-to-day contact throughout. Offers to connect you immediately.
✗ Red flag answer
“A member of our team” or “one of our specialist handlers”. No name given. Pressure to decide before speaking to whoever will run your claim.
Question 2
“What is your proposed success fee for my specific type of claim, and why is it set at that level?”
✓ Good answer
A specific percentage with reasoning tied to your claim type and risk level. Lower percentage for straightforward claims with clear liability.
✗ Red flag answer
“We charge 25%, that is standard.” No reasoning. The same percentage for all claim types regardless of complexity or risk.
Question 3
“Will you be recommending After the Event insurance, and if so, why does my specific claim need it?”
✓ Good answer
A claim-specific assessment. May honestly say: “For your type of claim, we do not recommend it because…” First checks whether you have Before the Event (BTE) insurance.
✗ Red flag answer
Automatic yes. No claim-specific reasoning. ATE presented as standard and required for all clients. No mention of BTE insurance you may already have.
Question 4
“How many claims like mine have you personally settled in the last 12 months?”
✓ Good answer
A specific number. Or an honest: “This is a less common claim type for us, here is why we are still the right choice…” Specificity in either direction is trustworthy.
✗ Red flag answer
“Many years of experience.” “We handle all types of claims.” Vague references to the firm’s history with no personal specifics.
Question 5
“What additional costs could come out of my compensation beyond the success fee?”
✓ Good answer
A specific, complete list: disbursements (if applicable), any court fees, VAT treatment, ATE premium if recommended. Nothing held back for later.
✗ Red flag answer
“There should not be any.” With no further explanation. Or a long list of potential deductions that were not mentioned until you asked directly.
Question 6
“What happens if my claim is unsuccessful, do I pay anything at all?”
✓ Good answer
Clear confirmation: zero charge to you, including disbursements. Willingness to put this in writing before you sign.
✗ Red flag answer
A hedged answer about disbursements. “It depends on the terms.” Reluctance to commit to zero charge in writing before you sign.
Question 7
“What is your overall success rate for claims like mine?”
✓ Good answer
A genuine figure with honest context. “We decline claims we do not believe in, that is how we maintain our record.” Selectivity is a mark of quality.
✗ Red flag answer
“We win 99% of all cases.” A blanket claim with no qualification. No firm genuinely wins every case. Unrealistic numbers mean uncritical case selection.
Question 8
“Can I have a copy of the Conditional Fee Agreement to read before I decide?”
✓ Good answer
Immediate yes. They send it before you sign. They welcome questions about it. They give you time to read it properly.
✗ Red flag answer
Pressure to sign on the call. “We will go through it when you come in.” Reluctance to provide it in advance for you to read in your own time.
Call us and ask us these questions.
✓ We are confident in our answers
✓ No Win No Fee, zero charge if unsuccessful
✓ Free call, no pressure, no commitment
How to verify a no win no fee solicitor is legitimate
Any solicitor offering no win no fee agreements for personal injury claims in England and Wales must be regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). Verification takes under two minutes using the SRA Solicitors Register.
Beyond SRA registration, Google reviews are the single most reliable indicator of what a firm is actually like to deal with. Read the most recent reviews first. Then read the critical ones. A firm with 200+ Google reviews and a consistent 5-star average, where clients name individual solicitors by first name, is telling you something a brochure never could.
Carter and Carter Solicitors have 250 five-star Google reviews. Read them at Google Reviews or on the client testimonials page before calling anyone.
Important: Read This Before Accepting Any ATE Recommendation
After the Event insurance: what most firms do not tell you
After the Event (ATE) insurance is a policy some no win no fee solicitors take out on your behalf to cover costs if the claim fails. Many firms take it out automatically and deduct the premium from your compensation if you win. The premium comes out of your damages, not the firm’s fee.
Since April 2013, a legal rule called Qualified One-Way Costs Shifting (QOCS) means that if a personal injury claimant loses their claim, the defendant generally cannot pursue them for legal costs. The protection ATE insurance was historically designed to provide already exists as a matter of law for most claimants. The SRA has specifically warned that some firms arrange ATE insurance at inflated premiums to generate commission, a practice that may breach section 56(2) of LASPO.
Carter and Carter Solicitors do not recommend ATE insurance as a standard product. If a claim came to the firm where a genuine costs exposure existed, it would be explained. Since April 2013, none has.
What percentage do no win no fee solicitors actually charge?
The success fee percentage is one of the most important factors when choosing a solicitor. Carter and Carter checked the websites of 100 personal injury firms across England and Wales and found that 97% do not publish a specific fee. The detailed findings, including what the different fee levels mean for your compensation and why most firms choose silence over transparency, are covered in the firm’s dedicated guide: What percentage do no win no fee solicitors take?
Carter and Carter charges 10% when claims settle without court proceedings and publishes this fee on its website before any contact. Full fee breakdown here.
What choosing the right solicitor looks like in practice
Mr Bailey suffered a serious workplace accident while carrying a heavy piece of steel. He slipped and landed face first, knocking out a number of teeth. He contacted a national firm of solicitors straight after the accident. Thirteen months later, that firm rejected his claim, telling him there were insufficient prospects of success, and closed his file.
David Healey, who qualified in 2005 and has specialised in workplace accident claims throughout his career at Carter and Carter, reviewed Mr Bailey’s case under the employer’s common law duty of care and the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974, and concluded it did have prospects of success. David took the case on in November 2016, issued proceedings against the employer in April 2017, and secured a settlement of £24,999 in July 2017. Eight months from instruction to settlement, on a claim the previous firm had given up on.
Mr Bailey did nothing wrong. He trusted a national firm to handle his claim properly, and they let him down. The eight questions above are designed to expose exactly this kind of failure before it happens. The previous firm could not have answered Question 1 (no named solicitor), Question 4 (no specialist experience in his claim type), or Question 7 (they gave up rather than fighting). Those answers would have been visible on the first call.
Red flags: what to watch for beyond the eight questions
Certain patterns during the initial conversation should prompt a pause before signing anything.
Stop. Ask more questions. If any of these happen:
- Pressure to sign on the first call, before reading the Conditional Fee Agreement
- Vague or evasive answers about total deductions “at the end of the case”
- Refusal to name which solicitor will handle the claim day-to-day
- ATE insurance recommended automatically with no claim-specific reason
- Very high advertised “success rates” with no detail on claim types or how “win” is defined
- Terms that say you owe money if you withdraw, miss appointments, or “fail to cooperate” without defining what cooperation means
- An “absolutely no risk” promise with no explanation of what that actually covers
Specialist personal injury solicitor vs. claims factory: at a glance
| A specialist personal injury solicitor | A claims factory |
|---|---|
| Names the specific solicitor handling your claim from day one | “A member of our team”, no name given, no continuity promised |
| Quotes a success fee specific to your claim type and risk level | 25% as standard regardless of claim complexity or work involved |
| Checks existing BTE insurance before recommending ATE | Automatically recommends ATE with no claim-specific assessment |
| Sends the Conditional Fee Agreement before you sign, welcomes questions | Pressures you to commit on the first call without reading the agreement |
| Google reviews name individual solicitors and describe specific outcomes | Few recent reviews, no named individuals, evasive responses to criticism |
We tell people when they should not claim. Not because we enjoy it, because an honest conversation now is worth more than a difficult one six months in. That is how we have operated since 2007.
Chris Carter, Managing Solicitor, Carter and Carter Solicitors (qualified 1993)
Why People Choose Carter and Carter
When you put the eight questions to us, here is what you get back.
Recent: Fee Transparency
The SRA Transparency Rules (December 2018) require fee disclosure for conveyancing, probate, and five other legal service types. Personal injury remains exempt. Carter and Carter’s April 2026 study of 100 firms found only 3 publish a specific fee. Read the full study.
Source: SRA Transparency Rules
Frequently Asked Questions
What does no win no fee actually mean in practice?
What happens if I lose my claim? Do I pay anything?
Do I need After the Event insurance for a no win no fee claim?
How do I check if a no win no fee solicitor is legitimate?
Can I change my solicitor if I am unhappy with the service?
How long does a no win no fee personal injury claim take?
Does it matter if the solicitor is not local to me?
What is the time limit for making a personal injury claim?
Why should I instruct a specialist rather than a general solicitor?
Not sure if you have a claim?
A free call costs nothing and commits you to nothing. Chris or David will tell you honestly where you stand.
Start with a free call.
No commitment. No pressure. Just straight advice from Chris or David.
Ask us the eight questions. We are confident in our answers.
Carter and Carter Solicitors is a specialist personal injury firm founded in 2007 in Whaley Bridge, Derbyshire. The firm handles claims across England and Wales in three practice areas: accidents at work, food allergy and anaphylaxis claims, and accidents in public places. Two senior solicitors manage all claims personally from instruction to settlement: Chris Carter (Managing Solicitor, qualified 1993, over 30 years of personal injury experience) and David Healey (Senior Solicitor, qualified 2005, 20 years of personal injury experience). The firm publishes its conditional fee at 10% when claims settle without court proceedings and has 250 verified five-star Google reviews. Carter and Carter is regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.
1993
Chris Carter
Managing Solicitor
Over 30 years exclusively in personal injury law. Has handled claims across workplace injury, occupiers’ liability, food allergy, and serious accident claims throughout England and Wales.
2005
David Healey
Senior Solicitor
20 years in personal injury, specialising in complex liability cases, food allergy claims, and workplace accidents. Handles all claims personally from instruction to settlement.
Last reviewed: April 2026. Carter and Carter Solicitors, Whaley Bridge, Derbyshire. Regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. England and Wales only.
“Darren Lippett left us a Five Star Review on Google after his claim was rejected by a national firm of specialist personal injury solicitors: “Highly recommended! I contacted Carter & Carter Solicitors when one of the larger Injury claim solicitors dumped my claim after sitting on it for 18 months. After going through my claim […]
Darren Lippett ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐