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Maxwell Gillott Solicitors
WHAT WILL IT COST ?

Education Law

When you first contact us we always arrange a free initial telephone advice session with one of our advisors. The telephone advice will include an initial view on your legal entitlements, and, where appropriate, practical advice on steps you can be taking yourself to deal with the problem. And of course, the advice will also deal with the question of cost.

Cover for legal costs is not a clear cut issue in these areas of law, as the availability of Public Funding (formerly known as Legal Aid) in the name of the pupil varies according to the type of case. In addition, insurance cover is rarely available for the type of court actions we normally need to take in education law. If you are on a low income, we may be able to provide free advice under the Legal Help scheme which can meet part or all of the costs. If full legal aid would be available in your case, we will make the application to the Legal Service Commission. Because we have a full franchise in education law, we are able to grant emergency legal aid ourselves in suitable cases.

Clinical Negligence/Medical law

In clinical negligence and medical law cases, we offer a free first interview at which we will advise whether your case is worth pursuing and on the possible ways in which it might be paid for. If you live some distance away, and it is not easy for us to get together, contact us by telephone, and we will arrange for a telephone advice appointment. If you instruct us to proceed with your case we will agree the funding arrangements with you, and will give you written confirmation of what has been agreed.

Public Funding is available for clinical negligence and medical cases. Eligibility depends on the merits of the case and your financial means. We can advise on this. The financial eligibility of children is assessed according to their own resources, and not on those of their parents, so most children qualify.

We can still act even if public funding is unlikely to be available to you , seek our advice on the merits of your case, as you are likely to recover most of your costs from your opponent if you succeed. However, you will need to have support to call on in the event that you lose your case and have to pay legal costs. There are various sources of such support:

Legal Expenses Insurance : more and more people have access to this, often without being aware of it. Check your household insurance policy and your other personal or family insurances and see if there is an entitlement to legal expenses cover. Some credit card companies offer such cover to their customers.

Conditional Fee Agreements : we are prepared to consider handling cases under one of these, often described as “no win, no fee agreements”.

Trade Union / Professional Association : if you are a member of one of these bodies, you should enquire whether they give help with legal costs.