No win no fee solicitors are personal injury solicitors who agree not to charge their own professional fee if a claim is not successful, and who often fund the upfront cost of running it. You pay their professional fee only if compensation is recovered. The arrangement is lawful in Ireland and widely used, but the phrase hides real detail: it covers your solicitor’s own fee, not every possible cost, and solicitors are not permitted to advertise it. This page explains, in plain English, what no win no fee really means in Ireland, the rules that protect you, the costs that can still arise, and how to choose a solicitor.
Written and reviewed by Mark Tiernan, Principal Solicitor at Tiernan & Co. Solicitors, Dublin, regulated by the Law Society of Ireland.
Tiernan & Co. Solicitors are members of the Law Society of Ireland and the Dublin Solicitors Bar Association. Last reviewed June 2026.
Important: what the rules say
Under the Legal Services Regulation Act 2015 and the Legal Services Regulation Act 2015 (Advertising) Regulations 2020, solicitors in Ireland are restricted from advertising personal injury services using phrases such as “no win no fee”. This page is intended to explain the term, because it is commonly searched by the public, and to set out how these arrangements work and what to look out for. It is not legal advice, and it should not be understood as an offer or advertisement to provide personal injury legal services at no cost.
The short version
No win no fee in Ireland, at a glance
Your solicitor’s own fee is waived if you lose. Under a genuine arrangement, you are not charged your solicitor’s professional fee if the claim is not successful.
It is not a share of your compensation. Section 149 of the Legal Services Regulation Act 2015 prohibits a fee calculated as a percentage of your award.
You must get a written section 150 notice setting out your costs, or how they will be calculated, before any work begins.
“No fee” does not always mean “no cost”. Outlays, the other side’s costs if you lose in court, and VAT can still arise. Ask for these in writing.
Most claims start at the Injuries Resolution Board. The application fee is 45 euro online or 90 euro by post, and the Board does not generally award legal costs.
Advertising it is banned. If a website openly promotes no win no fee for personal injury, treat it with caution: it may be unregulated.
The basics
What does no win no fee mean in Ireland?
No win no fee, sometimes called “no foal no fee”, describes an arrangement in which a no win no fee solicitor agrees not to charge their own professional fee for the legal work unless your personal injury claim results in compensation. The solicitor invests their time and expertise, and often covers the upfront costs of running the claim, recovering their fee only from a successful settlement or court award.
The phrase creates an impression of zero financial risk. The reality is more layered. “No fee” refers specifically to your solicitor’s own professional charges for their work. Third-party expenses, known as outlays or disbursements, and any liability for the other side’s costs if a case is lost in court, sit outside that promise. The single most important thing to clarify before you sign anything is the difference between your solicitor’s professional fee and the outlays of running the claim, and who carries those outlays if the claim does not succeed.
Ireland has no separate statute that defines exactly what a no win no fee arrangement must include. The terms are agreed between you and your solicitor, which means two firms handling similar cases could offer materially different arrangements. Your safeguard is the written section 150 notice your solicitor must give you, which is explained below.
The key point most people miss
Is no win no fee a share of your compensation?
No. This is the single most important thing to understand. In Ireland, a solicitor may not charge a fee that is calculated as a percentage or proportion of your compensation. This is prohibited in contentious business, such as a personal injury claim, by section 149 of the Legal Services Regulation Act 2015.
So no win no fee does not mean your solicitor takes a cut of your award. It means that, under the arrangement, the solicitor does not charge their professional fee if the claim is not successful. Anyone offering to run a personal injury claim in return for a percentage of the damages is not operating within the rules, and that is a clear warning sign. A solicitor also may not deduct any legal costs from your compensation without your prior written agreement.
From first call to payment
How does a no win no fee claim work, step by step?
A personal injury claim in Ireland follows a structured sequence involving you, your solicitor, the Injuries Resolution Board and, in some cases, the courts. Understanding the stages helps you see where costs can arise.
1
Consultation and case assessment
You describe what happened and your injuries. The solicitor assesses who was at fault, the strength of the evidence and whether the claim is one they will take on. Their willingness to act on this basis is itself a form of case screening.
2
Your section 150 notice
Before any work begins, your solicitor gives you a written notice setting out your likely costs, or how they will be calculated, with a cooling-off period during which work will not start unless you confirm.
3
Gathering your evidence
Medical reports are obtained, witness statements taken and documents assembled. These third-party costs are the outlays, which your agreement may treat as the solicitor’s risk or yours.
4
Injuries Resolution Board application
Most claims, other than medical negligence, must first go to the Board. The application fee is 45 euro online or 90 euro by post or email, and a medical report must accompany it.
5
Assessment, mediation or authorisation
The Board assesses the claim, or the parties may use its mediation service. If either side does not accept the outcome, the Board issues an authorisation allowing court proceedings to begin.
6
Settlement or court
Many claims settle at the Board stage or in negotiation. If not, the solicitor prepares for a hearing. The further a case goes, the higher the costs for both sides.
7
Bill of costs and payment
If the claim succeeds, your solicitor must give you a detailed bill of costs under section 152 of the Act, and the agreed fee and outlays are dealt with before the balance is paid to you.
Transparency by law
What you sign before work begins: the section 150 notice
Before a solicitor can start working on your claim, they must give you a section 150 notice under the Legal Services Regulation Act 2015. This written document replaced the older section 68 letter in 2019. It is not a formality: it is a statutory protection that governs the financial relationship between you and your solicitor.
A valid section 150 notice must set out the legal costs you will incur, or the basis on which they will be calculated, by reference to factors such as the time involved, the complexity of the case and its urgency. For a case likely to go to court, it must outline the work and the likely costs at each stage. It must also include a cooling-off period of up to ten working days, during which your solicitor will not begin work unless you confirm that you wish to proceed. If, later, your solicitor becomes aware that costs are likely to rise significantly, they must issue a new notice.
For a no win no fee arrangement, a good notice should state clearly which costs are waived if the claim fails and which remain your responsibility regardless of the outcome. If the notice does not separate your solicitor’s professional fee from the outlays, ask for that clarity before signing. You can read an independent overview at Citizens Information, the Legal Services Regulatory Authority and the Law Society of Ireland.
The honest part
What costs can arise even under no win no fee?
No win no fee does not remove every possible cost. Your agreement waives your solicitor’s professional fee if you lose, but several other categories of cost can sit outside that promise. None of them should ever come as a surprise, because your section 150 notice is meant to set them out. The table below shows, in general terms, what the arrangement usually covers and what it may not. It does not show amounts, because costs depend entirely on your own case and agreement.
What no win no fee usually covers
What it may not cover
Your solicitor’s professional fee for the legal work, if the claim is not successful
Outlays already incurred, such as medical reports and the Injuries Resolution Board fee, depending on your agreement
Preparing, valuing and negotiating your claim
The other side’s legal costs if a case goes to court and is unsuccessful, known as adverse costs
Representing you at the Injuries Resolution Board and in settlement talks
VAT, currently 23%, on your solicitor’s professional fee
The solicitor’s time spent advancing the case
The premium for after-the-event insurance, if you choose to take it out
Any shortfall between the costs recovered from the other side and your solicitor’s full costs
Outlays. These are third-party costs incurred in running your claim, such as medical and expert reports, court fees and a barrister’s fees if one is needed. Some solicitors fund these and recover them from a successful settlement, while others ask you to pay them as they arise. How outlays are handled is one of the most common sources of misunderstanding, so confirm in writing whether they are at your risk or your solicitor’s.
Adverse costs. If a case proceeds to court and is unsuccessful, the general rule is that costs follow the event, so the court may order the losing party to pay the other side’s legal costs. A no win no fee arrangement covers your own solicitor’s fee, not these costs. Some agreements include protection against this risk and many do not, so ask.
After-the-event insurance. One way to manage the adverse-costs risk is after-the-event insurance, which can cover the other side’s costs and your own outlays if a claim fails. These policies exist in Ireland but are less common than in the United Kingdom, and the premium is not recoverable from the other side, so it would come from your compensation if you win. Ask whether this option is available and what it would involve.
Most personal injury claims in Ireland can be handled under a no win no fee arrangement, although whether a solicitor offers it in your case depends on their assessment of the evidence and the likely value of the claim. The main areas include:
Medical negligence deserves particular mention. These cases are exempt from the Injuries Resolution Board process and proceed directly through the courts. They usually require expert medical reports and take longer, so the outlay exposure on an unsuccessful medical negligence claim can be higher than on a standard case. If your injury arose from medical treatment, our dedicated medical negligence solicitors site covers that area in detail. If you were injured at work because your employer did not meet its duties under the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act 2005, the claim follows the standard Board route.
Where most claims begin
The Injuries Resolution Board stage and your costs
Most personal injury claims in Ireland must first be made to the Injuries Resolution Board, the IRB, formerly known as PIAB, before court proceedings can issue. The application fee is 45 euro online or 90 euro by post or email, and the party you are claiming against pays a separate fee if they consent to the Board assessing the claim. That party has 90 days to decide whether to consent.
The Board process is largely paper-based, and it does not generally award legal costs. Where a claim is accepted at this stage, the position on costs is therefore different from a fully litigated case, and your solicitor’s fee is dealt with from the compensation rather than recovered from the other side. Since December 2023, the Board has also offered a mediation service, extended to public liability claims in May 2024 and to motor claims from December 2024, which can resolve a claim without court proceedings.
The Board remains the central pillar of how personal injury claims are resolved in Ireland. In its 2024 annual report, the Board recorded that it received 20,837 personal injury claim applications, with an overall consent rate of about 70%, the third year in a row at that level. A solicitor still adds real value at this stage: gathering and presenting your evidence, valuing the claim against the Personal Injuries Guidelines, and advising whether an assessment is fair or whether you should reject it and proceed. For more, see our guides to Injuries Resolution Board assessments and how compensation is calculated.
If things do not go your way
What happens if your claim is not successful?
Under a genuine no win no fee arrangement, your own solicitor will not charge their professional fee if your claim does not succeed. The terms of that waiver are set out in the section 150 notice you signed before work began. It is important to understand, though, that this is not always the same as having no financial exposure at all, and that the exposure differs depending on the stage at which a claim ends.
If a claim ends at the Board stage, your exposure is typically limited to outlays already incurred, such as a medical report and the application fee, and whether you carry those depends on your agreement. If a case goes to court and is unsuccessful, the general rule that costs follow the event means the court can order you to pay the other side’s legal costs, which are separate from your no win no fee arrangement.
There is also one specific risk worth knowing. If you reject an Injuries Resolution Board assessment that the other side accepted, take the case to court, and the court awards you less than the Board had assessed, the court can impose a costs penalty under section 51A of the Personal Injuries Assessment Board Act 2003. This does not apply where both sides rejected the assessment. A good solicitor will explain this clearly before advising you whether to accept or reject an assessment.
When the claim succeeds
What happens when you win, and how are costs handled?
When a claim succeeds, the agreed fee and any outlays are dealt with before the balance of your compensation is paid to you. Under section 152 of the Legal Services Regulation Act 2015, your solicitor must give you a detailed bill of costs setting out the legal services provided, the charges and the amount recovered, together with an explanation of how any part of the bill can be challenged.
In general terms, where a case is won in court the other side typically pays a portion of your legal costs, known as party-and-party costs. These do not always cover the full costs your solicitor incurred, and any shortfall comes from your compensation. VAT, currently 23%, also applies to your solicitor’s professional fee. Because none of these amounts is fixed and all of them depend on your own case, the clearest picture comes from your section 150 notice and a conversation with your solicitor, supported by our guide to how compensation is calculated. Remember that your solicitor may not deduct any costs from your award without your prior written agreement.
A common source of confusion
How is no win no fee in Ireland different from the UK?
Much of the no win no fee information online is written for England and Wales, and the framework there is genuinely different. In England and Wales, conditional fee agreements are governed by detailed regulations, a success fee can be charged on top of the normal fee, and after-the-event insurance is a standard feature of personal injury funding. In Ireland there is no equivalent statutory conditional fee regime, no success fee of that kind, and after-the-event insurance is far less common, with its premium not recoverable from the other side.
Northern Ireland is different again: no win no fee arrangements are prohibited there under the Solicitors (Northern Ireland) Order 1976. The position in the Republic sits between the two, permitting the arrangement in practice while prohibiting its advertisement. One point is often misunderstood: the rule that a solicitor may not calculate a fee as a percentage of an award, in contentious business, governs how the fee is expressed and charged. Fees are instead calculated by reference to the work involved, agreed under section 150 and charged on completion. If you have read UK guidance, do not assume it applies here, and ask your solicitor to explain the Irish position directly.
A word of caution
Can solicitors advertise no win no fee in Ireland?
No. Solicitors in Ireland cannot advertise personal injury services as no win no fee. The Legal Services Regulation Act 2015 (Advertising) Regulations 2020 prohibit the use of phrases such as “no win no fee” and “no foal no fee” in advertisements that refer to personal injury services, along with offers of a consultation at no charge and similar wording. The Legal Services Regulatory Authority took over the regulation of legal advertising from the Law Society at the end of 2020.
So if you come across a website that openly advertises no win no fee for personal injury, be careful. You may be looking at one of two things: a solicitor breaching their professional obligations, or, more often, an unregulated “claim harvesting” site that exists to collect the details of people who may have a claim and pass them on. These sites are not law firms, are not regulated by any Irish body, and frequently contain inaccurate information. A solicitor who accepts direct or indirect referrals from such a site may be in breach of professional rules and may face regulatory or disciplinary consequences. The safer course is to deal directly with a regulated firm you can speak to yourself, one that is answerable to the Law Society of Ireland.
Before you instruct anyone
Questions to ask before you instruct a no win no fee solicitor
The right questions at the outset can prevent unwelcome surprises later. Your solicitor must give you written cost information before work begins, and these are the points most worth confirming:
What exactly is covered by “no fee if I lose”? The professional fee only, or the outlays as well?
Who pays for medical reports and experts? If the firm covers them, are they recovered from a successful claim?
What if the case goes to court and is lost? Am I exposed to the other side’s costs, and is there any protection?
How is your fee calculated? Ask for the basis of the calculation and an estimate for a case like yours.
What counts as a “win”? Any recovery at all, an accepted Board assessment, or a court judgment?
Is the firm a member of the Law Society of Ireland? You can confirm this on the find-a-solicitor register.
Why some cases are turned down
When might a solicitor decline a no win no fee case?
Solicitors are selective about the cases they take on this basis, because they are committing their own time and money without any certainty of return. A case is more likely to be declined where responsibility for the accident is unclear, the evidence is weak, the injury is minor relative to the cost of pursuing it, or the likely value does not justify the risk.
Since the Personal Injuries Guidelines replaced the Book of Quantum in 2021, award levels for many lower-value injuries have changed, and solicitors now assess the value of a case carefully before committing. A refusal is not necessarily a judgement on whether your claim is valid; it may reflect the firm’s caseload or the particular type of case, and it is reasonable to seek a second opinion. Time also matters. In general a claim must be started within two years of the accident, or of the date you became aware of your injury, so a case brought close to that deadline gives a solicitor less time to investigate and is more likely to be declined. For that reason, do not delay seeking advice. See our guide to time limits for personal injury claims for more.
Your options
Can you change solicitors during a claim?
Yes. You can move your case to a different solicitor at any stage of a claim. Your original solicitor may still be entitled to be paid for the work they have already done and for any outlays they have covered on your behalf, and the terms that apply should be set out in the section 150 notice you were given at the outset. If you are considering a change, it is worth discussing the position on costs with both your existing and your prospective solicitor before you move, so there are no surprises.
Making the right choice
How to choose a no win no fee solicitor in Ireland
Because the arrangement, and the people behind it, vary from firm to firm, it is worth researching your options before choosing between no win no fee solicitors. When comparing solicitors in Ireland, the things that genuinely matter include:
Genuine experience in claims similar to yours
A regulated firm and a member of the Law Society of Ireland
A clear, written section 150 costs notice before you instruct them
Plain-English explanations, with no jargon you do not understand
A solicitor who listens and makes you feel valued, not rushed
Clarity on what happens, and who pays any outlays, if the claim is not successful
If you disagree with a bill: challenging legal costs
You are entitled to a clear breakdown of any costs, and you have a statutory right to dispute them if you believe they are excessive. Within 21 days of receiving your bill of costs, you can send your solicitor a written statement setting out what you dispute, and the solicitor must try to resolve it. If that fails, either party can apply to the Office of the Legal Costs Adjudicators for a formal adjudication of whether the charges were fair and reasonable. If the bill is reduced by 15% or more, the solicitor generally becomes liable for the costs of the adjudication, which is a strong incentive for fair billing.
You can also make a complaint about excessive costs to the Legal Services Regulatory Authority. A bill that is found to be grossly excessive can amount to professional misconduct. There is a direct link between the quality of your section 150 notice and your protection here: a charge omitted from the original notice can be difficult for a solicitor to recover, so a clear notice protects you in both directions. A reputable firm sets out costs clearly from the outset, which is exactly why the section 150 notice matters so much.
Before you sign anything
Read any agreement carefully and make sure its terms are confirmed to you in writing. In particular, check whether you could be responsible for any outlays, such as court fees or medical costs, if the claim is not successful, as this can differ from firm to firm. If anything makes you uncomfortable, or you do not understand it, do not sign. A good solicitor will be glad to talk it through until you are satisfied.
Common questions
Frequently asked questions about no win no fee solicitors
Is no win no fee legal in Ireland?
Yes. No win no fee arrangements are lawful in Ireland, but solicitors who use them must follow the Solicitors Acts and the rules of the Legal Services Regulatory Authority and the Law Society of Ireland. Among those rules, the Legal Services Regulatory Authority restricts how personal injury services may be advertised.
Is no win no fee a percentage of my compensation?
No. Under section 149 of the Legal Services Regulation Act 2015, a solicitor may not charge a fee calculated as a percentage or proportion of your compensation in contentious business such as a personal injury claim. No win no fee means the solicitor does not charge their own professional fee if the claim is not successful. It does not entitle anyone to a share of your award.
Can a solicitor advertise their services as “no win no fee”?
No. Under the Legal Services Regulation Act 2015 (Advertising) Regulations 2020, solicitors are not permitted to advertise personal injury services as no win no fee. A website that openly markets itself this way may be in breach of those rules, or may not be a regulated law firm at all, which is a reason to be cautious.
What is a section 150 notice?
Under the Legal Services Regulation Act 2015, before a solicitor begins work they must give you a written notice, known as a section 150 notice, setting out the legal costs you will incur or the basis on which they will be calculated. It includes a cooling-off period and must be updated if costs are likely to rise significantly. It is there to make costs transparent before you commit.
What does a no win no fee arrangement usually cover?
Typically the solicitor agrees not to charge their own professional fee if the claim is not successful, and often funds the upfront outlays of running it, such as medical reports and the Injuries Resolution Board fee. The exact terms vary from firm to firm, in particular who carries the outlays if the claim does not succeed, so always have them confirmed in writing in your section 150 notice.
Could I have to pay the other side’s costs if my claim is unsuccessful?
Possibly, if a case goes to court. The general rule in litigation is that costs follow the event, so an unsuccessful party can be ordered to pay the other side’s legal costs. A no win no fee arrangement covers your own solicitor’s professional fee, not these adverse costs, and you may also be responsible for certain outlays. The risk can sometimes be managed, and many claims resolve at the Injuries Resolution Board or by settlement. Ask your solicitor to set out your exposure in writing.
Does the Injuries Resolution Board award legal costs?
Generally no. The Injuries Resolution Board process is largely paper-based and the Board does not usually award legal costs, so where a claim is resolved at this stage the position on costs is different from a fully litigated case. A solicitor still adds value by gathering your evidence, valuing the claim and advising whether an assessment is fair.
How much does the Injuries Resolution Board application cost?
The Injuries Resolution Board charges an application fee of 45 euro for online applications or 90 euro for applications made by post or email, payable when you apply. If the party you are claiming against consents to the Board assessing the claim, they pay a separate fee.
How long do I have to make a personal injury claim in Ireland?
In general you have two years from the date of the accident, or from the date you first became aware of your injury, to apply to the Injuries Resolution Board. The two-year period is paused once the Board acknowledges a complete application, so it is important your application is complete before submission. Different rules apply for children, whose two years generally start on their eighteenth birthday.
What happens if my claim is not successful?
Under a genuine no win no fee arrangement your own solicitor does not charge their professional fee if the claim does not succeed. You may still be responsible for certain outlays, depending on your agreement, and if a case goes to court and is unsuccessful you can be ordered to pay the other side’s costs. There is also a specific costs risk if you reject an Injuries Resolution Board assessment that the other side accepted and the court later awards you less.
Can I change solicitors during a claim?
Yes. You can move your case to a different solicitor at any stage. Your original solicitor may still be entitled to be paid for the work they have already done and for any outlays they have covered. The terms that apply should be set out in the section 150 notice you were given at the outset.
How do I choose a no win no fee solicitor in Ireland?
Look for genuine experience in claims similar to yours, a firm that is regulated and a member of the Law Society of Ireland, a clear written section 150 costs notice, and a solicitor who explains things in plain English and takes the time to listen to you. You can confirm any solicitor is on the register through the Law Society of Ireland.
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