Can We Offer Legal Aid For Medical Negligence Claims?
Legal aid is government‑funded support for certain legal cases. This guide explains who may be eligible, and the alternative funding options available.
Understanding how legal aid applies to medical negligence claims
What is legal aid?
Legal aid is funding for certain types of legal cases, which is provided by the government through the Legal Aid Agency. Most medical negligence claims are not eligible for legal aid.
For those types of cases still eligible, people can qualify for legal aid if they meet certain financial eligibility criteria. It can fund legal advice, mediation, and representation.
Does Irwin Mitchell offer legal aid for medical negligence claims?
Unfortunately, we aren’t able to offer legal aid to fund your medical negligence claim. However, we can offer alternative funding options we believe are in the best interests of most cases we’re involved with.
Contact us to discuss your situation in a free initial consultation. We’ll advise you on the funding options available to you and which we believe is most appropriate for you.
How can I fund my medical negligence claim with Irwin Mitchell?
Although we can’t accept legal aid claims, there are other options for funding your medical negligence claim.
No win no fee
Most of our medical negligence claims are made using a no win no fee agreement, sometimes known as conditional fee agreements (CFA).
If you make a no win no fee claim, you won’t need to pay anything if your claim is unsuccessful. You’ll only incur fees if your claim is successful – in this case, most of our fees will be covered by your opponent.
No win no fee claims need a suitable insurance policy to protect you from any costs while we’re fighting your claim.
If you don’t already have an appropriate insurance policy, we can take out After The Event (ATE) insurance on your behalf. This insurance policy fully protects you if your claim is unsuccessful. It also means that you can claim compensation without paying a penny upfront.
Because we offer this method of funding, it means we can’t offer clients the option of legal aid.
Legal expenses insurance (LEI)
You may consider claiming for compensation using legal expenses insurance (LEI).
You won’t have to pay any legal fees or expenses as part of your claim for compensation if you claim using LEI.
This may already come with your car or home insurance, so it’s worth checking to see if you’re covered as a policyholder.
Meet an expert from our Medical Negligence team
Here, you can browse our specialists, find out more about their previous cases and, whenever you’re ready, reach out to them to get the support you need.
Speak to a specialist
We are here to listen and guide you through your next steps. Complete our enquiry form and one of our experts will contact you by the next working day.
Alternatively, you can call us now.
Our opening hours are Monday to Friday 8am to 6pm (Excluding Public Holidays).
0800 1216 567
Making an enquiry
We have several ways you can contact us, either by completing our online contact form, by phone, or using our live chat. If you start your journey online, here are the first steps to working together.
Complete our online formWe need a few details to understand your situation and the kind of support you need.
We’ll contact you by phoneOn the call our experts will ask you a few more questions to make sure we connect you with the right legal advice from our team.
We arrange a full appointmentYour next step is an in-depth appointment with a specialist solicitor to discuss how we could advise you.
Our commitment to you
Our experts always start by listening, so we understand what matters most from day one.- 01Clear legal guidance
You will always get straightforward, honest advice, with regular updates to keep you clear on the way forward.
- 02Specialist knowledge
A wide-ranging team of trusted specialists who understand what it takes to protect your future, your family or your business.
- 03Your needs first
Whether you’re navigating complex personal situations or business decisions, we take the time to understand your world and what’s at stake.
Irwin Mitchell Scotland
Scottish cases will be handled by the Scottish law firm with which we are associated, Irwin Mitchell Scotland LLP. The law relating to funding is different in Scotland and you will receive separate advice about what that means as well as a separate funding agreement.
.jpg%3Fh%3D900%26iar%3D0%26w%3D1072&w=3840&q=75){kind=logo}