the other side if the client's claim is unsuccessful. Legal aid Legal Aid is financial assistance which is funded by the Government. It is not usually awarded in cases of personal injury unless under extreme circumstances. But through all the circumstances it is still available for Clinical Negligence cases. Hourly fees Even though it is possible, it is rare for individuals to fund their own personal injury claims by retaining a lawyer on an hourly basis. In some jurisdictions, if the client's claim is successful, the client will be able to recover attorney fees from the defendant. In jurisdictions that follow the American rule for attorney fees, even successful clients must normally bear the cost of their own legal fees. Regulation The legality of contingent fee arrangements is often subject to restrictions, particularly in relation to contingent legal fees. According to law professor Herbert Kritzer, as of 2004 contingent fees for legal services were allowed in the following countries: Australia, Brazil, Canada, the Dominican Republic, France, Greece, Ireland, Japan, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States. They are also allowed in personal injury actions in Lithuania. Australia In Australia, conditional fee agreements are permitted under the Uniform Law, applied in NSW and Victoria by local application Acts. Where a favourable outcome is reached, an additional uplift fee (success fee) of up to 25% of the costs agreed to in the costs agreement may be charged. However, contingency fees based on a percentage of a client's net recovery are banned. Canada Contingent fee agreements are legal in all provinces of Canada, but with some restrictions on what cases are eligible to be handled on a contingent fee basis. In some cases, an attorney may collect a percentage of recovery in case of a victory but must otherwise charge an hourly fee. Russia Contingent fees are not enforceable under the Russian law. They are not defined in law but the Constitutional Court ruled that fees for the services provided can not be contingent on the decisions that might be taken in the future by the government or courts, including the amount of the compensation awarded as a result of a court hearing. For that reason the European Court of Human Rights does not award legal fees incurred by applicants under a contingency-fee arrangement under the Russian law to applicants in cases against Russia. South Africa Contingent fees have been allowed