Written by: Garbis Kolokossian Signing your cost agreement is a moment of relief. You have made a decision, and now something is happening. But the weeks that follow can feel surprisingly quiet. And that silence, for many people, becomes a source of new anxiety.
The early days of a personal injury claim are often the most uncertain. This guide walks you through exactly what is happening in those first crucial months: why things can feel slow, what your legal team is doing behind the scenes, and what you can do right now to support the strength of your claim.
The five-day check-in call: What to expect and why we do it
Within five business days of signing, you will receive a call from your lawyer. This is an important early step in setting your matter up properly and ensuring you are connected with the person responsible for handling your case from the outset.
The purpose of the call
The five-day check-in is designed to make sure your matter gets off to the right start. During the call, your lawyer will:
- Confirm the essential details of your claim and ensure the information we have is accurate
- Verify that all relevant information has been captured during the initial intake process
- Identify and address any missing, incomplete, or unclear information early
- Clarify key aspects of your case and explain what happens next
- Give you an opportunity to raise any additional concerns or questions that were not covered during your initial consultation.
Key takeaway
The five-day check-in call is the moment we make sure your claim starts on solid ground. If anything feels unclear or incomplete after signing your cost agreement, make a note to raise it during this call; this is exactly what it’s designed for.
Direct access to your lawyer from the beginning
From the outset, you are connected directly with the lawyer handling your matter. This early contact is intentional. It ensures you know who is responsible for your case, have an opportunity to ask questions, and understand the path forward before your matter progresses.
The five-day check-in provides an opportunity to clarify any outstanding issues, confirm expectations, and make sure you have a clear understanding of what happens next. By establishing this connection early, we aim to make the transition into your matter as smooth and straightforward as possible, with a clear plan and a named point of contact.
Following the call, you will typically receive a confirmation email within the first week of your file being opened. This email will confirm the key details discussed during the call, as well as your assigned lawyer and secretary.
From there, communication moves into the next stage of your matter, with updates provided at the points where they are most meaningful.
GMP Law’s unique offer
We are so confident in the quality of our service that we offer a 90-day risk-free trial, a unique offer not provided by any other Australian law firm. You can experience our service for up to 90 days and, if you are not completely satisfied, walk away without obligation or being charged for work completed during that period. It’s our way of building trust through action, not just words.
After the check-in, how often will you hear from us?
A common concern in legal matters is uncertainty around progress. Our communication approach is designed to remove that uncertainty by providing clear, structured updates at meaningful stages of your case.
Once the initial check-in has taken place, communication generally moves to a stage-based approach. This means you will hear from us when there is a meaningful development, a decision needs to be made, or there is something you need to know or do.
This means:
- You will receive updates when there is something important to report. We focus on communicating information that is relevant to your matter and helps you understand what is happening.
- Your matter continues to progress even when you do not hear from us. There may be periods where there is no visible change, but work is still being undertaken behind the scenes.
- Some stages depend on third parties. Progress may sometimes be determined by insurers, medical practitioners, experts, other lawyers, courts, or other parties. During these periods, there may be limited information to provide until the next meaningful development occurs.
Key communication points during your claim
Rather than providing routine updates simply for the sake of contact, communication is focused on the key stages and developments in your matter. You can expect a combination of scheduled check-ins with our Client Liaison Team and updates from your lawyer when there is something important to discuss.
Three-month check-in call | Your Client Liaison Officer (CLO) will generally contact you around three months into your matter to:
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Event-driven updates | Your lawyer will also contact you when significant developments occur. These may include:
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Key takeaway
Our approach to communication ensures that the information you receive is timely, relevant, and meaningful.
The evidence gathering stage: What to expect
One of the main reasons communication can be quieter during the early stages of a claim is that much of the work involves gathering and reviewing information from people and organisations outside our office.
Evidence gathering is often the longest part of the early process and will usually take around two to six months, although more complex matters may take longer.
During this stage, your legal team may be:
- Requesting medical records and reports from treating practitioners, hospitals and other providers
- Obtaining and reviewing expert evidence where required
- Investigating the circumstances of the incident and evidence relevant to liability
- Reviewing information as it is received and identifying any gaps that need to be addressed
- Monitoring your treatment and recovery to understand how your injuries are progressing
- Assessing whether further evidence is needed before your claim can move to the next stage.
The timing of this work often depends on third parties. Medical providers, insurers, experts and other organisations may each have their own response times and processes. Some information may be received quickly, while other requests can take weeks or months to complete.
From your perspective, there may therefore be periods where little appears to be happening. This is normal and does not necessarily mean your matter has stalled. Often, the next step cannot be taken until the necessary information has been received or your medical position becomes clearer.
The end of the first 90 days is also not a deadline by which your claim needs to be ready to settle. For some matters, evidence gathering and recovery monitoring will continue well beyond this point. The purpose of the early stages is to establish a reliable picture of your circumstances so your legal team can determine the appropriate next steps.
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What happens after the three-month check-in?
Your three-month check-in provides an opportunity to take stock of what has been completed, what remains outstanding and what needs to happen next.
By this stage, some of the evidence requested earlier may have been received and reviewed. Your legal team may also have identified further information that is needed, whether to clarify liability, understand your injuries or assess your losses.
After the check-in, your matter will continue according to what the evidence requires. This may involve following up outstanding records, obtaining further reports, continuing liability investigations, monitoring your recovery or preparing the matter for the next appropriate stage.
The process will look different for every client. What matters is that your legal team continues to work through the evidence and progresses the matter as the necessary information becomes available.
Who do I contact if I need an update?
You can contact reception at any time if you would like to speak with your lawyer. Your legal team will be notified and will respond as soon as they are available. There may, however, be some delay depending on court commitments, consultations and active casework.
To provide timely support while allowing your lawyer to focus on the legal work required to progress your matter, Client Liaison Officers are also available to assist with day-to-day questions that do not require legal advice or case-specific strategy.
Your Client Liaison Officer can provide:
- A clear summary of your matter’s current progress
- Details of information that has been requested and received
- An indication of what remains outstanding
- An overview of the usual stages involved in a claim of this type.
If your question requires legal advice or a decision about the strategy of your claim, your lawyer will handle that discussion.
You should never feel that you are chasing your legal team simply because you want to understand where your matter is up to. If you are unsure about what is happening or what comes next, it is appropriate to ask.
The first 90 days in perspective
The first 90 days are about establishing the foundations of your claim.
Your matter is set up, you are connected with your legal team, evidence is requested and reviewed, your recovery is monitored, and the next steps are identified as the picture becomes clearer.
Some of this work will be visible to you. Much of it happens behind the scenes.
So if there are periods where you do not hear from your lawyer, remember that quiet does not necessarily mean inactive. Personal injury claims often depend on evidence, medical recovery, and responses from third parties, all of which take time.
The goal is not simply to move your claim as quickly as possible. It is to make sure it is built on the information and evidence needed to support the best possible outcome.
