Injured people ask two questions, in this order. Will this cost me anything if it goes wrong, and what do I get if it goes right. Firms tend to answer the second and leave the first vague, which is precisely backwards.
Funding is the barrier, and it is entirely publishable.
What people ask
People usually ask what no win no fee means, whether they pay anything upfront, what happens if the claim is lost, what a success fee is and how much it is, whether they pay the other side's costs, what the insurance policy is and who pays for it, whether the fee is deducted from compensation, and whether they can change solicitors partway through.
Example conversations
These scripts use information a firm might publish. Your answers should come from your own pages.
Visitor: What happens if I lose? Assistant: The funding page explains exactly what applies, including that there is nothing to pay to the firm if the claim is unsuccessful and how the insurance arrangement covers the other side's costs. A solicitor will go through the agreement with you before anything is signed.
Visitor: How much is the success fee? Assistant: The page states the maximum percentage that can be deducted from compensation and gives an example so you can see how it works in practice. It also explains what the fee covers.
Visitor: Do I pay anything upfront? Assistant: The page explains that there are no upfront fees under the arrangement offered, and what costs, if any, are incurred at any stage.
Explain the success fee with an example
Percentages are abstract. A worked example, showing an illustrative compensation figure and what would be deducted, is far clearer and it prevents the complaint that arises when the deduction appears at settlement.
Be precise about insurance
Most clients have never heard of the insurance that covers adverse costs. Explaining what it is, who arranges it, what it covers and whether a premium is payable removes the most common source of later confusion.
Never estimate compensation
Funding can be explained fully. Case value cannot, and any figure offered online sets an expectation that may never be met, which is the boundary set out in injury claim enquiries and what a law firm website can say.
Interim payments and expenses
Clients often ask whether anything is payable during the case, such as medical report fees or court fees, and whether interim payments are possible where liability is admitted. Explaining how disbursements are funded, and that they are usually covered rather than invoiced to the client, answers a worry that stops people proceeding when money is already tight after an injury.
Clients switching firms
People unhappy with a current firm ask about transferring. Explaining the general position, without advising on their specific arrangement, is useful and honest.
Transparency prevents complaints
Firms that explain deductions clearly at the start have far fewer disputes at the end, and the same is true in every trade where a bill arrives after the work, as in callout fee and parts questions for appliance repair firms and hidden costs answering services.
Intake follows funding
Once funding is understood, the conversation moves to the accident itself, captured as described in capturing accident details without giving legal advice.
Getting started
Publish your funding terms with a worked example, explain the insurance and answer at any hour. SpideyChat for law firms answers from your published pages, plans are on the pricing page and the chatbot ROI calculator helps size the enquiry time saved.