No Win, No Fee Explained

What "no win, no fee" means

Almost every housing disrepair claim we take on is funded by a Conditional Fee Agreement, or CFA, better known as a no win, no fee agreement. It's a contract between you and Bridgewater Law Ltd (trading as HD Claims) that says our fees are only payable if your claim succeeds.

In practice, that means you can bring a claim without paying anything up front and without risking your own money on legal fees. We take on the risk. If we didn't think your claim had a good chance of succeeding, we wouldn't take it on, so agreeing a CFA with us is itself a sign we believe in your case.

If your claim doesn't succeed

You pay us nothing for our work, provided you've kept to the terms of your agreement. They're not much to ask: give us honest instructions, cooperate with us, allow access for inspections, and don't walk away from the claim without good reason. They're set out clearly in the agreement before you sign.

If your claim succeeds

We charge a success fee, which is deducted from your compensation. Two protections apply:

• It's capped. The success fee is limited to 25% of the damages you recover. It can never be more than that.
• It's agreed in writing first. The exact percentage and how it's calculated are set out in your funding agreement before we start any work. There are no hidden charges and no surprises when your claim settles.

The rest of your compensation is yours, and the repairs your landlord commits to don't cost you anything at all.

What about surveyors' reports and court fees?

Some claims involve costs we pay to third parties on your behalf, most commonly an independent surveyor's report, and occasionally court fees or medical evidence. These are called disbursements. Who pays them in each outcome (win, lose, or settle early) is explained in your funding agreement before you sign, and we never start work that incurs a cost to you without your written agreement.

Your 14-day right to cancel

If you instruct us online, by phone, or anywhere other than at our offices, you have a legal right to cancel within 14 days. No reason needed, no charge. If you ask us to start work inside that 14-day window and then cancel, you may be charged for work reasonably done up to that point, and we'll explain that before anything begins.

The paperwork behind this page

This page is a plain-English summary, not the contract itself. The full detail lives in our Terms of Business and in the funding agreement and Client Care Letter we send you at the start of your matter. If you're ever unhappy with our service, our Complaints Procedure explains how to raise it and your right to go to the Legal Ombudsman.

HD Claims is a trading name of Bridgewater Law Ltd, authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA No. 8012009).