Private Client
In this type of arrangement, you are responsible for paying our costs, including expenses, and VAT, regardless of whether you win or lose.
If the Court is called upon to make an award, the general rule is that the losing party will be required to meet their opponents’ legal costs. Whilst we will only accept and pursue your claim if we believe it has reasonable prospects of success, we can never guarantee that you will be successful in your pursuit. Therefore, you must understand there is a risk of being unsuccessful and you could end up being required to pay the opponents’ legal costs as well as your own.
Before the Event Insurance
Before the Event Insurance or BTE insurance is any insurance that you already had before the prospect of legal proceedings arose (for example, legal cover, as part of the client’s house insurance or car insurance policies or union membership) and which covers some or all of the client’s potential costs liabilities in any subsequent proceedings.
The scope of this type of arrangement may limit your choices, as these types of policy usually only cover legal fees and disbursements up to a specified limit which may not be appropriate for your matter. You must also consider that, in some cases, utilising this insurance may result in increases in future insurance premiums.
After the Event Insurance (ATE)
After the Event Insurance is a legal expense insurance taken out after a legal dispute has arisen. ATE insurance usually covers a party’s potential liability in the event of losing their case, covering the cost of their opponents’ legal fees and disbursements, as well as their own disbursements –but your legal fees may not be included in the cover
You will not be able to recover the cost of the premium from your opponent if your claim is successful.
Please note that it is entirely your choice as to whether you wish to proceed to obtain an After the Event policy of insurance, and by pursuing your claim with us you are not obliged to take out any insurance policy if you do not wish to do so.
Authorisation
We are not authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority. However, we are included on the register maintained by the Financial Conduct Authority so that we may carry out on insurance distribution activity, which is broadly the advising on, selling, and administration of insurance contracts.
This part of the business, including arrangements for complaints or redress if something goes wrong, is regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority by whom we are authorised. The register can be accessed via the Financial Conduct Authority website at www.fca.org.uk/firms/financial-services-register.
We are classified by the Financial Conduct Authority as an ancillary insurance intermediary. The Law Society of England and Wales is a designated professional body for the purposes of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000. The Solicitors Regulation Authority is the independent regulatory arm of the Law Society. The Legal Ombudsman deals with complaints against lawyers; if you are unhappy with any insurance advice you receive from us, you should raise your concerns with either of those bodies.
