Lawyers are now legally allowed to offer a no win-no fee service.

In certain types of cases including personal injury and insolvency matters you will now find solicitors willing to take on your case on a "conditional fee" basis.

The English legal system ensures that the winner in a case recovers his costs from the loser and consequently if you succeed the other side has to pay your costs on a "taxed " basis ( ie assessed by the judge). However in view of the contigency fee arrangement your solicitor will normall seek an additional amount ( agreed before the case starts ) from you if you win.

It is all very well for your solicitor to agree not to charge should you lose but you then become liable to pay the other side's costs. Insurance policies are now availaible at a cost of as little as £100 which will cover your opponents costs if you lose. So for cases with a reasonable prospect of success you will not lose money.

This is one of the first steps taken by solicitors to try and give access to the legal system to those of us (middle class) who are not eligible for legal aid and yet do not have deep pockets !