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Compassionate Experts

Our team of Compensation Lawyers can help you navigate the complex world of compensation claims and guide you through what can be an extremely stressful time.

We cannot undo what has happened; no one can. However, we can help you get the compensation you're entitled to, so you can fund the things you need to get your life back on track.

We understand that your situation comes with a variety of challenges – it is not just a legal problem and compensation claim. We have helped many people like you go through similar journeys and we like to help wherever we can.

We know the law and how to work within it to get the best possible outcome for you.

What you can count on from James Law is a concrete strategic direction for your claim that is underpinned by the confidence and knowledge that comes from more than 90 years' combined experience and expertise in compensation law.

Every member of our team holds strong to the same core values that shape our practice: integrity, exceptional advocacy and service; acting with dignity, purpose and fairness.

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The above is general information only and not intended to be legal advice. You should not rely on this information to make decisions but should seek expert legal advice about your specific circumstances.

Compassionate Experts Prepare to WinFair FeesOur Compensation Lawyers

Prepare to Win

Our vision for you is very simple: to get as much compensation as possible into your back pocket, not ours.

It is important that you are equipped with the information and advice you need; the good, the bad, and the ugly, so that you are not taken by surprise at any time. We want you to be prepared to make the choices that are right for you. We will advise you, guide you and make recommendations, but ultimately the big decisions are yours to make. We are just here to help.

Years of practice tells us that proper preparation of the evidence to support your case is essential to achieving the best outcome. We know that everyone's experiences are different, and so are the facts of each case, the evidence and ultimately the outcome. So, to get it right from the beginning, we take the time to listen to you and learn all about you and what is important. When you tell us your story, you are telling it to someone who is qualified to fully understand your case and represent you; specialist compensation lawyers with years of life-changing wins behind us.

If you are considering a claim, or are not sure if you have a claim, we encourage you to do your homework and to find a law firm that is the best fit for you. Hopefully, that's us: James Law.

To help you decide, our points of difference are:

  • Other Law Firms
    James Law
    If you call, you will probably get a call centre employee, who will ask you some standard questions to help them work out if your case ticks the right boxes for them.When you call us – one of our staff will answer the phone and ask you how we can help.

    After getting some basic details, you will be transferred to one of our lawyers with the right expertise for your case.

    When you submit an online enquiry from our website, it is sent straight to our Principal Director. Arrangements will be made within 24 hours of your enquiry, usually sooner, for you to speak with the right lawyer for your case.
  • Initial Call
    Initial Call
    If you tick the right boxes then they will agree to act for you. This might be decided before you even get to speak with one of their lawyers.When you do speak with one of our lawyers, they will do an initial case assessment, there and then on the spot, with you. Then you can decide if we are the right fit for you. 
  • The Case Assessment
    The Case Assessment
    If you do not get to speak with your lawyer until after you have been signed up, how are you going to work out if you trust and like your lawyer before deciding to engage them?

    To get in contact with your lawyer, you might have to email a team rather than being able to email them directly.

    We know of instances where the client has not met their lawyer until the settlement conference, some 18 months after the claim was started.    		Because the initial case assessment will be with your lawyer, you can speak freely about what happened and how it has affected you and your family, knowing that we will be able to provide you with some initial advice immediately. It is obligation-free and confidential.

    Because all of our lawyers have experience in all areas of compensation and insurance law, we can make immediate decisions about how we can help you and can give you advice about all claim options on the spot:

    • If we think you have a good claim, we will tell you;
    • If your claim is probably not worth a lot in compensation, we will tell you;
    • If we think you do not have a strong claim, we will tell you;
    • If we think you have some hurdles to jump through to have a successful claim, we will tell you just that, and tell you if we think we can jump those hurdles with you;
    • If we know we cannot help you but know of other lawyers who can, we will organise for them to speak with you – our aim is to get you the help you need; if that is not us, then we will help find someone else who is right for you.

    Your lawyer will be with you every step of the way – contacting us is easy and talking to us is even easier.
    You will have your lawyers' direct contact details.

Fair Fees

Nobody works for free and neither do we; we expect to be paid for the work we do.

  • Other Law Firms - No Win, No Fee
    James Law - No Win, No Fee
    Most compensation law firms offer no win, no fee.

    Some law firms who offer no win, no fee will ask you to enter into separate disbursement or outlay finance agreements to pay for medical reports.

    Most law firms charge their time on an hourly rate, which may look to be a comparable rate, but it is not when you realise they then add an uplift fee of 25% on their fees.    		We offer no win, no fee.


    We do not ask our clients to enter into separate finance agreements to pay for medical reports and other disbursements.


    We charge our time on an hourly rate. Our hourly charge rates are competitive. One big difference though is that we do not charge an uplift fee - ever.
  • 50% Cap On Legal Fees
    30% Cap On Legal Fees
    50% cap on legal fees

    Under Qld State law there is a mandatory cap or limit that a law firm can charge for its professional fees, if it is a no win, no fee claim.

    That cap is set at 50% of net settlement money (after payment of government charges and disbursements).

    All law firms are required to obey this rule; some though see the 50% rule as the benchmark or target for what they should be charging. To reach that benchmark, some law firms over service their clients, meaning they do unnecessary work.    		30% cap on our legal fees*

    We like to give our clients better certainty about their legal fees, so we limit or cap our professional fees at 30% of the net settlement amount (after payment of government refunds and legal disbursements).

    Unlike some other law firms, we also do not treat that cap as the benchmark for professional fees to be charged. Because of our expertise and experience, our professional fees will probably be less than 30% regardless of the type of case; but should the work we do be more, we will not charge you more than 30%*.

    *Conditions Apply
  • Uplift Fee of 25%
    No Uplift Fee
    25% uplift fee chargedNo uplift fee charged at all

    Unlike most other law firms, we do not charge an uplift fee, which is a 25% mark-up on the professional fees charged.
  • Other fees - Care and Consideration
    No Care and Consideration Fee
    Care and consideration fee of up to 30% is often charged on top of the professional fees, and at times in addition to the uplift fee.Unlike some law firms who charge both care and consideration and an uplift fee; James Law do not charge either, we only charge professional fees for the work we do calculated on at an hourly rate– nothing more.

Our Compensation Lawyers

Leeha James

Leeha James
Principal

With over 25 years experience working in law and with an unwavering desire to provide specialised and affordable assistance to people who need legal representation with their compensation claims, Leeha opened James Law in 2014.

Leeha's experience is wide and varying. She has represented clients from many occupations and industries, including everyday individuals, trade unions, community and not-for-profit organisations, and professional bodies Australia-wide. Leeha does not just specialise in compensation law; she specialises within compensation law, with unique expertise in relation to fatal and catastrophic injury, complex and complicated injuries, and industrial disease (including occupational cancer).

Passionate about firefighter cancer compensation, Leeha assisted the Firefighters Cancer Foundation of Australia (FCFA) at the Queensland Parliamentary Committee hearings in 2015, and successfully argued for the introduction of presumptive cancer legislation for all firefighters including firefighting volunteers. She has also assisted the FCFA in Victoria as they continue to lobby for presumptive legislation, and has provided various advice and assistance to victims of Fiskville. She represents firefighters with occupational cancer in all states and territories with claims for workers' compensation, with particular expertise in claims where no presumptive legislation applies.

Credentials

  • Member of Company of Directors, since 2021;
  • President at Bayside Community Legal Service, since 2019;
  • Member of the Queensland Law Society Professional Misconduct Committee since 2021;
  • Member of the Queensland Law Society Accident Compensation / Tort Law Committee since 2012;
  • Queensland Law Society, Accredited Specialist in Personal Injury Law since 2006;
  • Queensland Law Society, Practice Management, 2004;
  • Admitted to the Supreme Court of Queensland, 1998;
  • Admitted to the High Court of Australia, 1998;
  • Bachelor of Laws, QUT, 1998;
  • Bachelor of Arts & Humanities (with Honours) majoring in Australian Politics and Media Production, Griffith University, 1992.
Email Leeha

Jacqueline Lamond

Jacqueline Lamond
Principal (Non-Director)

Jacqueline has a wealth of legal experience and expertise solely in personal injury law. After obtaining a Bachelor of Laws from Queensland University of Technology in 2001, Jacqueline was an Articled Clerk to former Queensland Attorney General, Kerry Shine and has practised in both large national firms and boutique personal injury practices.

Jacqueline also has a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in the field of English Literature from the University of Queensland.

Credentials

  • Bachelor of Laws, QUT 2001;
  • Bachelor of Arts (Honours);
  • Admitted to the Supreme Court of Queensland 2003;
  • Admitted to the High Court of Australia;
  • Member of the Australian Lawyers Alliance;
  • Member of the Women Lawyers Association of Queensland;
  • Member of the Queensland Law Society.
Email Jacqueline

Nicole Paul

Nicole Paul
Associate

Nicole has been practicing in personal injury law since 2012. She has a broad range of experience and expertise in all areas of compensation including motor vehicle accident claims, workers’ compensation and public liability claims.

She finds working with clients with catastrophic injury or when a loved one has died and a dependency claim is being pursued most rewarding as she is able to make a big difference in their journey. She applies a holistic approach to her clients' legal issues following an injury, and looks outside of the scope of the claim to ensure no other compensation or insurance avenues are missed, for example: advice regarding entitlement to income protection; total and temporary disability (TTD); and total and permanent disability (TPD) and death benefits.

Nicole's passion for personal injuries and insurance litigation arises from a steadfast desire to help people through what can be a difficult and stressful time in their lives. She is passionate about helping clients and their families minimise the financial and emotional stress that often follows a significant injury or illness. She frequently assist clients by securing rehabilitation, treatment and surgery funding from the insurer before a claim settles.

Nicole is driven to ensure her clients not only get the best possible outcome with their claim, but that they also have a positive legal experience with a solicitor they can trust and rely on.

Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her husband and two young daughters. She also has a passion for travel. A favourite destination was the Arctic Circle, the highlight of which was sleeping in a glass igloo in Finnish Lapland.

Nicole is involved in pro bono and volunteer work. She has been an appointed volunteer solicitor on the Human Research Ethics Committee at the Mater Hospital for a number of years, and has a keen interest in the interplay between scientific research and law including ethical, consent, and privacy considerations.

She has previously volunteered at the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal (QCAT), the Homeless Person's Legal Clinic and Caxton Legal Centre.

Credentials

  • Bachelor of Laws, Griffith 2011
  • Bachelor of Arts, Griffith 2011
  • Admitted to the Supreme Court of Queensland 2012
  • Member of the Queensland Law Society
  • Member of the Australian Lawyers Association
  • Committee Member of the Mater Ethics Committee (Solicitor)
Email Nicole