The public funding scheme for legal actions in this country are limited to cases which fulfil the 'exceptional cases' criteria, set out in the Funding Code accompanying the Access to Justice Act 2000.

Guidance on Applications for Exceptional Funding was issued by the Lord Chancellor's Department on 1 November 2001. The Guidance states that the applicant must be within the financial eligibility levels set out in the regulations and must satisfy the Lord Chancellor that there is a significant wider public interest in the client being represented at the inquest or, the client is a member of the deceased's immediate family and the circumstances of the death appear to be such that funded representation is necessary to assist the coroner to investigate the case effectively and establish the facts. Therefore in the vast majority of cases public funding is not available.

MTA solicitors have a fixed fee of £645 + VAT which includes all telephone calls, letters to the police and Coroners Court, obtaining a copy of the evidence and witness list from the Coroner’s Clerk, discussing the case with you and obtaining your instructions, travel to the Coroners Court and representation at the Inquest itself including a conference before and after the hearing. In most cases the inquest will last only one day, should the inquest be listed for more than one day, we shall inform you of the barristers fees for the subsequent court attendances.

After the hearing your representative will advise you on further action you may wish to take, such as issuing a claim. We will also take a full note of the hearing and send this to you for your information if required.

MTA’s dedicated team have experience in attending a variety of Coroner’s Inquests. Please do not hesitate to contact us to discuss the matter further.