The general public often do not realise that No Win No Fee, especially since the advent of the Legal Aid, Sentencing & Punishment of Offenders Act 2012, does not necessarily mean what it says. The simple truth is that it is often the case that, even where a client loses, they end up saddled with the costs of disbursements other than the fees of the lawyer whom they retained. For example, this could be court fees, counsel’s fees and after-the-event insurance.
It is also worth noting that in some cases, even if you win, you end up without anything. This is because the other side may say that your lawyer has done too much work on the case and that is out of proportion to the size and complexity of the claim. They could take the issue to the Costs Courts and knock the your lawyer’s fees down at detailed assessment. But the client may still be liable for the whole amount. Never has it been more important to read the small print – or find a lwyer you can really trust. The Legal Ombudsman Service, which handles complaints about lawyers, provides some useful information and examples: