Frequently Asked Questions

Registering a case with HCCC Legal Services is a no obligation process to allow me to quickly assess your case, and whether I am the best person to maximise your chance of success.  I will let you know within 48 hours whether I can help.   

If I think you will get better service somewhere else, I will let you know and assist you with a referral if you request this sort of help.    There is no cost involved with registering a case.

Your responses are encrypted and password locked, so only I can read them.   Any advice you seek is also subject to legal professional privilege, meaning your information cannot be given to anyone else, including a Court, without your permission.

No-win no-fee arrangements mean lawyer's get paid at the end of a matter when (or if) they are successful.      This is how HCCC Legal Services works for all matters.

Solicitor's must provide you with a cost agreement, even when they are acting on a no-win no-fee basis.   They can't begin to incur costs until they have given you this agreement, and made sure you understand its meaning.

This cost agreement will usually outline the hourly rate your solicitor will charge for the work they do on your case.  At the end those hours are added up and the amount is deducted from your compensation.

I am confident the hourly rate of $200 per hour at HCCC Legal is lower than most other lawyers. My experience in the law and in health care also means I spend less hours working on your matter.   

HCCC Legal Services operates on a totally mobile platform.    This keeps costs low, which in turn means HCCC Legal Services can charge an hourly rate lower than most other firms.

Technology is allowing new ways of operating in most fields, including health care, financial services and increasingly the law.  Video and voice conferencing is used at HCCC Legal Services, as well as home visits and the use of regional office spaces when necessary.

Larger firms have higher costs, which mean they need to take on more cases to try and cover these costs.  HCCC Legal Services does not have these concerns, so I can limit the number of cases I take on at any time.   

Your case will not get lost in a pile of other cases as I struggle to pay the bills.   

I don't need the money I make from the law to survive - I am more interested in taking on interesting cases and winning.   If I don't have the time to give your case the attention it deserves, I can quickly refer you on to an appropriately skilled lawyer.

No-win no-fee only applies to the fees charged by HCCC Legal Services for the work I do as a lawyer - it does not apply to other costs such as disbursements, or any costs charged by the other side in the event your claim is unsuccessful.  

HCCC Legal Services will give ongoing advice about the risks of your matter in terms of any costs you may be liable for if your case is not successful.   

This advice will be given at a time before it is too late for you to decide you don't want to proceed - if you continue to pursue your case despite advice about the risks, then it is possible the other side can ask a Court to order that you pay part or all of the costs they have incurred defending your claim.

If you do decide that the risks are too high, you will be able to walk away without needing to make payment to HCCC Legal Services for legal costs, and it will be at a stage when you are not required to make payment for the other sides legal costs.