While parties are entitled to seek independent legal advice at any stage, the PIAB will not award litigation costs for or against any party but special provision will be made by the PIAB to protect the interests of vulnerable claimants. It will not conduct oral hearings. There are limited opportunities for respondents or their insurers to attack the claimant's claim once the case has been accepted as one appropriate for assessment of quantum only. The PIAB will avail of its own expertise on its staff or from appointed independent consultants to assess the validity of a claim and will not indulge in an adversarial process between competing parties' experts. Regardless of whether a claimant has employed a lawyer, the PIAB will always communicate directly with claimants so that they know exactly how their cases are progressing through each stage of the assessment process.