If something goes wrong with buying or selling your home you could be entitled to compensation.
If something goes wrong with buying or selling your home you could be entitled to compensation.
I am very happy and satisfied with the settlement you achieved for me and the service was excellent and thank you very much
Mrs E.Swaffield
Loughborough
When you put your faith in a solicitor to represent your legal interests, you expect them to use their considerable professional expertise to help you reach a positive outcome. But unfortunately, there are instances where a solicitor’s services fall short of what you expected – and sometimes this poor standard of service crosses the line into professional negligence.
Examples of solicitor negligence
If you think your solicitor was negligent in how they managed your case, we can help you pursue a legal professional negligence claim which could see you receive compensation for your losses.
Read moreProfessional negligence claims against solicitors are on the rise. The internet has made a generation of people more aware of their legal rights, and their ability to exercise them. It’s likely that many people weren’t even aware you could sue a solicitor – but times have changed, and those who have been let down by their solicitor’s negligence now know they can take action.
Read lessWe know that pursuing a negligence claim can be a stressful process – especially if you’re already handling the fallout of a legal process gone wrong.
That’s why our expert team of solicitors are on hand to support you throughout every step of the process. We’ll act fast to establish the nature of the initial agreement reached between you and the professional, and whether there was a failure to carry out the tasks with the appropriate level of skill or care.
Read moreClaire Critchley
Our Financial, Property and Professional Claims team is headed by senior solicitor Claire Critchley who has over 10 years’ experience dealing with complex legal claims against a variety of professionals including surveyors, architects, estate agents and solicitors, in addition to dealing with financial disputes involving mis-sold mortgages and interest rate swaps. Claire also has significant past experience in representing large companies and financial institutions in a range of different legal service areas including breach of contract, debt recovery and insolvency litigation. Claire is currently leading the pursuit of a group claim in relation to a £2 million property investment case known as Enterprise House in Leicester.
Patricia Murphy
Patricia has 6 years of file-handling experience in litigation and currently has responsibility for a mixed caseload including property related legal negligence claims, claims against architects and contract disputes. Highlights for Patricia have included conduct of high-value multi-track cases, with the value of damages awarded often exceeding £100,000. Patricia also has significant experience handling a range of personal injury disputes.
Chris Tetzlaff
Chris has over 6 years of experience as a litigation file-handler and currently has responsibility for a mix of disputes involving legal negligence, contract disputes and housing disrepair. Chris also has significant experience in and knowledge of personal injury litigation. Past highlights have included working extensively with leading Counsel on a number of catastrophic injury and fatal accident claims worth between £250,000 - £2,000,000 involving forensic accident reconstruction and complex, life-changing injuries including brain injury, amputation and severe psychological trauma.
Catherine Donnelly
In early 2015, Catherine began working in the firm as a paralegal whilst completing the Legal Practice Course. In January 2017, she became a Trainee Solicitor and is currently completing her third seat. She has also completed seats in Group Litigation and Residential Conveyancing. Outside of work, Catherine is an enthusiastic baker who loves to paint. She is a regular contributor to fundraising events for Cancer Research UK and Macmillan Cancer Support charities. She is also a passionate member of the National Trust, and loves to spend her time visiting various locations throughout the UK.
Aileen Wood
Aileen joined the firm in 2012 as a Legal Assistant in the Group Litigation Department. She joined the Professional Negligence team a couple of years later where she is now a Paralegal having completed a 12-month internal development programme. Aileen enjoys taking part in charity events such as her most recent event, Hell Runner. She also loves spending time with her family which includes her fiancé and two stepchildren. Most of all, she loves everything relating to Christmas.
Kathy McQuillan
Kathy has been a Legal Assistant in the Professional Negligence team since joining the firm in December 2016. She also completed her Law Degree in 2016 and is currently undertaking the Legal Practice Course. Outside of work, Kathy enjoys spending time with her family.
Read lessWe'll never sell your data or contact you unnecessarily. Your Legal Friend is a secure and private website.
This is not about a claims culture. We just want to defend the rights of the people who are suffering because of this.
Head of Professional Negligence
“I found the staff to be friendly, helpful, courteous and they kept me well informed on a regular basis”
Mrs. Vora,
Loughborough
“They acted in a sympathetic and professional manner and resolved my case very efficiently”
Mr Dowse
Leeds
Because the circumstances surrounding every claim and their effects are different, it’s very difficult to give a definitive answer on how long it takes to settle a claim. Often it depends on how quickly our clients provide us with essential information, how quickly we can get your file of papers from the professional and any expert reports required, and whether the insurance companies are willing to provide realistic offers to settle the claims.
Whilst we aim to settle your claim as quickly as possible, we also want to ensure we secure the maximum compensation for you. This often means we have to do some hard negotiation with the defendants – which takes extra time. Our aim is to balance progressing the claim as fast as possible with getting you the maximum settlement.
We realise that you’ll be keen to know about the progress of your claim so we will send you regular emails and texts to keep you up to date, and also to remind you if there is any information we’re waiting for from you.
Read lessTo understand whether your solicitor was negligent, you need to be aware of what constitutes professional negligence. By law, professional negligence is when a professional fails to perform their responsibilities to the standard expected of them. This failure to meet the duty of care they owe to their client must also cause financial loss for it to be classed as negligent.
If you’re planning to pursue a professional negligence claim against your solicitor, you’ll need to prove three things:
At Your Legal Friend, we understand just how overwhelming it can be to consider a professional negligence claim against your solicitor who is likely to have years of experience in dealing with the intricacies of the law. Our expert team of highly experienced professional negligence solicitors will make the process as stress-free as possible and will fight to ensure you receive the compensation you deserve.
Read lessSome clients are represented by both a solicitor and a barrister, but when it comes to negligence, they’re unsure who was at fault. Here are the differences between the two professions:
There are exceptions in some cases, but these are the broad definitions of both roles. Both solicitors and barristers can have professional negligence claims brought against them.
Every case will be different, just as every client’s circumstances are unique. However, there are a number of common examples of negligence:
Of course, this is not the exhaustive list, and there are many other examples of negligence. To discover whether you have a valid claim, contact us to discuss your circumstances and next steps.
Solicitors acting negligently can cause a raft of problems for their client, financially and personally. A solicitor incorrectly drafting a will could leave a deceased client’s children without their rightful inheritance. A solicitor wrongfully under-settling a personal injury claim could leave their client out of pocket. A solicitor who fails to offer the correct advice about planning permission could even leave their client homeless.
If you’ve suffered a financial loss as a result of negligence on the part of your solicitor, you may be able to make a compensation claim that will see your losses recovered. Our expert professional negligence solicitors will help you determine whether the errors made by your solicitor were negligent, as well as considering how best to pursue your claim and recover the compensation you deserve.
So that we can represent you effectively, we’ll need to know the following things:
Once you’ve supplied us with these details, we can start investigating the case and advising you on your next steps. Most solicitors have professional indemnity insurance which will ensure you recover the full amount from them when you win your case.
If we discover that your solicitor’s mistakes didn’t amount to negligence in the eyes of the law, we’d advise taking the matter to the Legal Ombudsman, the body in charge of complaints against solicitors. This body does have the power to award compensation where inadequate services were provided, and this is a viable option for clients whose claims wouldn’t be classed as negligence in court.
Time limitations
We know that the prospect of taking a solicitor to court can be daunting. But our experienced team of professional negligence solicitors has the skills and experience to ensure your solicitor is held to account. We’ll act quickly and provide you with sympathetic, practical, jargon-free advice to help you secure the compensation you deserve.
Throughout your claim, Your Legal Friend will help you every step of the way
Because the circumstances surrounding every claim and their effects are different, it’s very difficult to give a definitive answer on how long it takes to settle a claim. Often it depends on how quickly our clients provide us with essential information, how quickly we can get your file of papers from the professional and any expert reports required, and whether the insurance companies are willing to provide realistic offers to settle the claims.
Whilst we aim to settle your claim as quickly as possible, we also want to ensure we secure the maximum compensation for you. This often means we have to do some hard negotiation with the defendants – which takes extra time. Our aim is to balance progressing the claim as fast as possible with getting you the maximum settlement.
We realise that you’ll be keen to know about the progress of your claim so we will send you regular emails and texts to keep you up to date, and also to remind you if there is any information we’re waiting for from you.
Read lessTo understand whether your solicitor was negligent, you need to be aware of what constitutes professional negligence. By law, professional negligence is when a professional fails to perform their responsibilities to the standard expected of them. This failure to meet the duty of care they owe to their client must also cause financial loss for it to be classed as negligent.
If you’re planning to pursue a professional negligence claim against your solicitor, you’ll need to prove three things:
At Your Legal Friend, we understand just how overwhelming it can be to consider a professional negligence claim against your solicitor who is likely to have years of experience in dealing with the intricacies of the law. Our expert team of highly experienced professional negligence solicitors will make the process as stress-free as possible and will fight to ensure you receive the compensation you deserve.
Read lessSome clients are represented by both a solicitor and a barrister, but when it comes to negligence, they’re unsure who was at fault. Here are the differences between the two professions:
There are exceptions in some cases, but these are the broad definitions of both roles. Both solicitors and barristers can have professional negligence claims brought against them.
Every case will be different, just as every client’s circumstances are unique. However, there are a number of common examples of negligence:
Of course, this is not the exhaustive list, and there are many other examples of negligence. To discover whether you have a valid claim, contact us to discuss your circumstances and next steps.
Solicitors acting negligently can cause a raft of problems for their client, financially and personally. A solicitor incorrectly drafting a will could leave a deceased client’s children without their rightful inheritance. A solicitor wrongfully under-settling a personal injury claim could leave their client out of pocket. A solicitor who fails to offer the correct advice about planning permission could even leave their client homeless.
If you’ve suffered a financial loss as a result of negligence on the part of your solicitor, you may be able to make a compensation claim that will see your losses recovered. Our expert professional negligence solicitors will help you determine whether the errors made by your solicitor were negligent, as well as considering how best to pursue your claim and recover the compensation you deserve.
So that we can represent you effectively, we’ll need to know the following things:
Once you’ve supplied us with these details, we can start investigating the case and advising you on your next steps. Most solicitors have professional indemnity insurance which will ensure you recover the full amount from them when you win your case.
If we discover that your solicitor’s mistakes didn’t amount to negligence in the eyes of the law, we’d advise taking the matter to the Legal Ombudsman, the body in charge of complaints against solicitors. This body does have the power to award compensation where inadequate services were provided, and this is a viable option for clients whose claims wouldn’t be classed as negligence in court.
Time limitations
We know that the prospect of taking a solicitor to court can be daunting. But our experienced team of professional negligence solicitors has the skills and experience to ensure your solicitor is held to account. We’ll act quickly and provide you with sympathetic, practical, jargon-free advice to help you secure the compensation you deserve.
Throughout your claim, Your Legal Friend will help you every step of the way
27/02/2018
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24/09/2018
24/09/2018
24/09/2018