A solicitor has helped to develop a software package aimed at helping lawyers who work under conditional fee agreements (CFAs) in clinical negligence cases, with a view to rolling it out more generally.

Paula Nash, a solicitor at Bristol firm Glynns, joined up with IT specialists CFA Risk to set up a Web-based scheme that is geared towards introducing a more co-ordinated approach to dealing with cases run on a no win, no fee basis.


It selects cases in accordance with the firm's knowledge and expertise in particular areas, provides a formal risk assessment and calculation of success fees, as well as analysing each stage of a case and providing an internal management tool. The package is currently confined to clinical negligence actions but will be rolled out to other cases shortly.


'We will definitely be branching out into other more generalised areas of CFA litigation such as professional negligence,' Ms Nash, the company's sales director, said.


She got involved with the project because she believes CFAs are the way forward in many areas of litigation. 'There is a real need for claimant practitioners to look carefully at their claims-handling procedures and to adopt a more co-ordinated approach when dealing with CFA-funded cases.'


Ms Nash said a key factor was providing necessary risk assessment, especially as this could help avoid challenges to the CFAs from defendants. 'Time taken in producing a comprehensive risk assessment plan during the assessment phase of a claim will be repaid many times over during the claim,' she argued.


The current scheme also facilitates internal and external communication between solicitors, counsel and clients, helps ensure compliance with the relevant government regulations and looks into the availability of after-the-event insurance.


Link: www.cfarisk.com