The Benefits of Financial Transparency Between Funders and Clients
Whilst the debate rages on about the level of disclosure that funders and their clients should provide to the courts, it is important to note that financial transparency and disclosure between a funder and client is one of the best ways to ensure a successful partnership in any funding arrangement. In an insights post from Sentry Funding, Jack Burgess highlights the importance of greater financial transparency between funders and clients, as well as the ways in which funders can enhance both their own and their client’s position through this approach. Firstly, he points out that it is one of the best ways to increase trust in litigation funding, as clients can often be under large amounts of stress during legal proceedings, and by providing open financial disclosure, funders are able to ‘ease their concerns and establish trust in the partnership.’ He also points out that this goes a long way to maintaining ethical funding practices, so that ‘clients can have confidence that they are partnering with a reputable and trustworthy organisation.’ Beyond this trust building, Burgess argues that this approach also empowers the client, because when a funder makes sure that the client is aware of all the information around ‘the terms, fees, and repayment structures’, these clients can then ‘make informed decisions about their legal financing.’ Similarly, financial transparency can be a helpful part of a funder’s risk mitigation strategy, as an informed client is one that is able ‘to make risk-aware decisions and plan accordingly.’ Burgess explains that Sentry Funding maintains its commitment to financial transparency through these four principles: open financial disclosure, client empowerment, ethical funding practices, and financial accountability.