Case Examples That Explain a New Legal Model
Independent · Fixed-fee · Escrow-protected
If YOU save, WE win. If your case DRAGS, we lose.
Independent Law. Aligned Interests.
These three case examples show why Clean Law’s client-side model exists - one real case, two public cases - each proving how independence, escrow, and education protect clients from runaway costs and loss of control.
Prefer a print version? Download the full PDF below.
Case Example: When Three Years Became Two Months
When a dispute built for three years of court settled in eight weeks – because Clean Law helped the client regain control through clarity and strategy.
In 2024, a homeowner came to Clean Law for help with a matter expected to run two to three years and cost tens of thousands in trial preparation.
Clean Law accepted the case as part of our community-service commitment, providing independent guidance and strategic support.
Instead of preparing for years of litigation, we focused on negotiation, clear communication, and early resolution.
We worked with the client to map each decision, anticipate the other side’s moves, and stay calm under pressure.
By keeping the process transparent and grounded in facts, the dispute was resolved in just two months – without court proceedings, loss of control, or cost surprises.
Safeguards that made it possible
Independent structure: no referral fees, no profit-sharing, no hidden alliances.
Transparent process: every step explained and documented in plain English.
Strategic coaching: the client learned to plan and communicate effectively, reducing delay and stress.
When independence meets education, clients regain the power lawyers usually keep. Two months of strategy achieved a resolution that years of litigation would have delayed.
Case Example: When Lawyers Cost More Than the Debt
Public-record case: Hartnett v Bell [2023] NSWCA 244
A $30,000 debt recovery swelled into $288,000 in fees. The Court of Appeal ordered most of it repaid – but not the years of stress or time lost.
The case showed how unchecked billing can overwhelm ordinary clients – and why transparent, stage-by-stage funding matters.
Under Clean Law’s model, every phase must be pre-approved and fixed-fee signed off through escrow. Funds can’t move without client consent. That safeguard makes a blow-out like this structurally impossible without the client’s explicit approval.
Safeguards
Escrow safety vault: funds released only with client consent
No referral fees or shared profits
Incentive alignment: If you save, we win; if your case drags, we lose
This case reminds us that trust in the law depends on clear disclosure and client control. Clean Law was built to make that control standard practice.
“Trust in the law depends on clear disclosure and client control.”
Case Example: When “No Win No Fee” Left the Client Short
Public-record case: Todorovska v Brydens Lawyers Pty Ltd [2022] NSWCA 47
A client recovered $100,000 in damages – but after legal costs and disbursements of almost $68,000, she kept about $23,000.
The Court of Appeal found that the firm’s disclosure documents were inadequate to meet the statutory purpose of the Legal Profession Act 2004, and ordered $26,200 plus interest repaid.
The judgment highlights how, without clear cost disclosure, no-win-no-fee arrangements can leave clients uncertain about what they will retain from an award.
Under Clean Law’s model, each stage is priced and approved in advance. Funds sit in escrow – released only with client consent – so clients always see what’s spent and why.
Safeguards to prevent this
Escrow visibility: every dollar pre-approved and documented.
Independent structure: no success fees, no hidden percentages.
Alignment of interests: If you save, we win; if your case drags, we lose.
Winning a case shouldn’t mean losing control of the outcome. Escrow keeps outcomes transparent and clients protected.
The Model Behind Every Example
Clean Law = Lawyers on the Client’s Side.
ACNC-registered charity, with annual independent audits
No referral fees, commissions, or alliances – full structural independence
Client funds, where escrow applies, are held in a Law Society-audited trust account
Fixed-fee stages + results bonus only where early settlement saves trial-phase costs
Outcome alignment: If YOU save, WE win. If your case DRAGS, we lose.
Escrow in Action
Escrow funds sit in a Law Society-audited trust account.
Money only moves when you say so.
We may earn a bonus only if we help you settle early and avoid most trial costs.
If not, you still keep the fixed-fee and escrow protections.
Excerpt from the Clean Law Process illustrated on our Homepage.