Plan for any contingency

Six years ago, when conditional fee agreements were introduced by the government - primarily, at first, as a means by which personal injury cases could be removed from the ambit of legal aid - they represented a cataclysmic change.What seemed revolutionary at the time is now standard.

This week, we report on a survey of PI specialist solicitors and their views of CFAs - with about four-fifths of respondents saying no win, no fee is here to stay and an even greater majority forecasting that the number of agreements will increase (see page 3).Embedded CFAs may well be, but there are still issues to debate.

The research this week shows that clients find the agreements complex and the attendant paperwork difficult to understand.This confusion has led some to suggest that the government should experiment with US-style contingency fees, which are perceived by many lawyers to be simpler.

They are controversial and a move to implement them would be emotive.Nonetheless, perhaps it is time for ministers to consider evolving litigation funding even further and piloting a UK version.