Many people have, included in their household or other insurance policy, cover to fund a personal injury or clinical negligence claim before it arises. This is 'before the event' (BTE) insurance. If you sustain an injury you may be able to claim the solicitors costs and disbursements (expenses including experts reports and Court fees) needed to investigate and fight your claim, up to a specified and limited amount. This type of insurance may also protect you against any costs and disbursements that you have to pay your opponent if you lose your claim. If you do not have BTE insurance, or it is not sufficient to cover the costs and expenses of your claim, your Solicitor will be able to enter into a 'no win no fee' arrangement, correctly called a Conditional Fee Arrangement (CFA) for their costs. In this arrangement, if you lose the claim you do not have to pay your solicitor's legal costs. Usually your solicitor will take out an insurance policy for you with the CFA to pay for the disbursements you will have to spend in the claim, even if you lose. If you win your claim, you can claim both the costs and disbursements back from the losing party. This type of insurance called 'after the event' (ATE) insurance, is taken out after the injury has occurred. Although if you win a case part of the ATE insurance premium will be paid by the Defendant or losing party, not all of it will be recoverable in this way and some of it will be deducted from your damages. Additionally under the 'no win no fee'/CFA arrangement, your Solicitor may be entitled to charge an additional "success fee" for their costs in the event that you win the case, which will also be deducted, from part of your damages. You pay BTE insurance premiums up front, before you are injured. They are not recoverable. ATE premiums are only partly paid by you and then, only if you win your claim and receive compensation. BTE insurance is limited as to the amount of costs and disbursements that it will cover. You may not be able to choose your Solicitor until your claim commences formally in court. If you claim under a BTE policy, you may be required to choose a Solicitor only from the insurer's panel, when you are investigating the claim. These Solicitors may not be a specialised, as you need for your claim. Your BTE insurer may require you and your solicitor to enter into a 'no win no fee'/CFA arrangement anyway, and their insurance will then only cover the disbursements of the litigation but not the Solicitors costs. The solicitor may then charge a 'success fee' if you win. At Fieldfisher Solicitors, we may be able to work with your BTE insurer, even though we are not on their panel. As BTE insurance cover is always limited and 'capped' and may be insufficient for the needs of your claim, it may be better for you to take out a 'no win no fee'/CFA arrangement with ATE insurance instead, sufficient to provide the cover you need. This is permitted under the rules that govern CFAs. We will always advise you of all the funding options available to you, so you can choose what is best for you.