The short answer
Yes, some solicitors and claims firms offer no-win-no-fee arrangements for cavity wall insulation claims, typically a conditional fee agreement. The idea is that you pay nothing to the firm if the claim fails, and a success fee (a percentage deduction) if it succeeds. Read the terms carefully: even a no-win-no-fee deal can involve deductions from your award, possible charges for insurance or disbursements, and conditions if you stop the case partway. The important context is that a CIGA guarantee claim, a complaint to the installer, and a Financial Ombudsman complaint are all available free and do not need a no-win-no-fee firm at all. So weigh what the agreement adds against what it costs.
No-win-no-fee can suit a contested claim, but it sits on top of free routes. The detail below explains how the agreements work and the trade-offs.
No-win-no-fee basics
- Common formconditional fee agreement
- If you loseusually no fee to the firm
- If you winsuccess fee deducted
- Watch forinsurance + disbursements
- Free routesCIGA / installer / FOS
How no-win-no-fee works
A no-win-no-fee arrangement is usually a conditional fee agreement (CFA). Under it, the firm only charges its fee if your claim succeeds; if it fails, you generally do not pay that fee. In exchange, a successful claim carries a success fee — an agreed percentage taken from your compensation. The model is designed to let people pursue claims without paying up front, with the firm carrying the risk of losing. It is most relevant to contested claims pursued against an installer, surveyor or finance provider, rather than a straightforward CIGA guarantee claim that you can register yourself for nothing.
The logic of the arrangement is that the firm shares your risk. Because it only earns if you win, it has an incentive to take on cases it expects to succeed, and the success fee compensates it for the cases that fail. That can make a claim possible for someone who could not fund litigation up front. The flip side is that the firm's interest and yours are not perfectly aligned at every turn — for example over whether to accept a settlement — which is why the written terms, including how decisions are made, deserve careful reading before you sign anything.
Costs even when you do not pay up front
"No-win-no-fee" does not always mean "no cost". Read the agreement for:
- Success fee — the percentage of your award the firm keeps if you win.
- After-the-event insurance — a policy sometimes taken out to cover the other side's costs if you lose, which may have its own premium.
- Disbursements — out-of-pocket costs such as survey or expert fees, and who pays them.
- Termination terms — what happens if you end the case early or reject a settlement the firm recommends.
| Item | When charged | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Success fee | if you win | % of award deducted |
| ATE insurance | varies | premium may apply |
| Disbursements | during the case | survey / expert costs |
| Free CIGA claim | always | no fee at all |
Indicative cost items for guidance. Sources: FCA; Citizens Advice.
Check the firm is regulated
Whoever offers the agreement should be properly regulated. A firm of solicitors is overseen by the Solicitors Regulation Authority; a claims-management company is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Check the relevant register before signing, and be wary of unsolicited approaches promising compensation. A legitimate firm will give you clear written terms, explain the success fee and any deductions plainly, and tell you that you can pursue a CIGA or Ombudsman claim yourself for free. Reluctance to confirm regulation, pressure to sign quickly, or vague answers about deductions are all reasons to pause.
Cavity wall insulation claims have attracted some aggressive marketing over the years, including cold calls and texts implying that a payout is waiting and that you must act through a particular firm to receive it. A regulated firm operating properly does not need those tactics; it can set out the basis of any claim, the prospects, and the cost in writing, and give you time to consider. If an approach leans on urgency, vagueness about who regulates it, or a specific promised sum before anyone has assessed your wall, those are signals to step back and verify before committing to anything.
Weigh it against the free routes
The decisive question is what the agreement actually adds. For a clear-cut CIGA guarantee claim, you can register the complaint and have CIGA inspect at no cost, so handing a percentage to a no-win-no-fee firm may give up money for little benefit. For a contested claim — disputed cause, an uncooperative installer, or a finance dispute heading towards court — a regulated firm's expertise can be worth the success fee, especially if you would not otherwise pursue it. The honest position is that no-win-no-fee is a tool, not a necessity: it suits some cases and is unnecessary for others, and you keep more of any award by using the free routes where they fit.
A useful way to frame the decision is to ask what work the firm would actually be doing that you could not reasonably do yourself. For a registered CIGA guarantee with a clear defect, the honest answer is often very little: you can make the call, supply the details, and let CIGA inspect, with no fee to anyone. For a contested matter — a disputed cause, an installer who denies responsibility, conflicting survey evidence, or a finance complaint heading towards the Ombudsman or court — a regulated firm may genuinely improve both the prospects and the handling, and the success fee then buys real expertise. Making that judgement deliberately, after reading the agreement and checking the firm's regulation, keeps you in control of a decision that some marketing is designed to make for you, and ensures any deduction from your award is one you have chosen rather than defaulted into.
Frequently asked questions
Will I really pay nothing if my claim fails?
Usually you pay no fee to the firm if the claim fails, but read the agreement. Some arrangements involve after-the-event insurance premiums or disbursement costs, and there can be conditions if you end the case early or reject a recommended settlement.
How much is a typical success fee?
It is an agreed percentage of your compensation and varies between firms. It should be set out clearly in writing before you sign. Because a CIGA guarantee claim can be made free of charge, weigh the success fee against what the firm adds.
Do I need no-win-no-fee for a CIGA claim?
No. You can register a CIGA guarantee claim and have it inspected at no cost, and complain to the Financial Ombudsman for free. No-win-no-fee is more relevant to contested claims against an installer, surveyor or finance provider.
Sources & further reading
Figures on this page are typical UK ranges drawn from published sources and depend on your specific property. They are guidance, not a quotation.