Since July 30, 1998 a so-called 'no win, no fee' system has been available in all civil claims for both plaintiffs and defendants.

Solicitors will advise their clients whether such an arrangement is suitable for any civil cases they are involved in.

Under present proposals Legal Aid will no longer be available from October 1999 for claimants in a variety of cases including personal injuries, inheritance claims, partnership disputes and boundary disputes. It will remain available for defendants to such claims and medical negligence claims, as well as family and criminal cases.

In April 1999, the Woolf reforms will come into force. They are intended to speed up cases and reduce legal costs by streamlining procedures.

No claim for less than £15,000 can be issued in the High Court. Claims for less than £5,000 will be decided under the small claims procedure in which successful parties are not entitled to their legal costs.

There will be new procedures for dealing with weak claims and defences. Claims between £5,000 to £15,000 will be dealt with under the Fast Track in which they will come to trial within 30 weeks of proceedings being defended.

In larger claims, the judges will take a more active role in managing cases. The use of experts may be restricted to one court-appointed expert.

Richard Wilson is senior partner at Gordons Wright & Wright solicitors

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