We understand that when you instruct a solicitor and/or barrister you are trusting them for their professional skills and knowledge so when they fail to perform their duty to you, through incompetence or negligence, it can have far reaching consequences. We also understand it can be a daunting task to bring a claim against someone whose responses to your queries appear to carry some weight. Not every law firm is the same but our solicitors can help you obtain the remedy you deserve and once again restore your faith in the legal profession.

Before deciding to take on a case we must first determine if you are entitled to bring a claim. Each solicitor and/or barrister owes you a duty to act in your best interests and if they have breached this you may be entitled to claim compensation. You must be able to show that you have suffered loss because of their actions and that the solicitor/barrister has behaved in a way in which no reasonable solicitor/barrister would. Any claim has to be brought within a certain time period, known as the limitation period, which is usually six years.

There is a vast number of ways in which a solicitor could have acted negligently, including:

• A solicitor/barrister has missed the limitation date for your claim
• A solicitor/barrister has caused your claim to be struck out at court
• A solicitor/barrister has failed to identify a defect in the title of your property
• A solicitor/barrister has sued the wrong party
• A solicitor/barrister has failed to serve a notice on your behalf by a given deadline
• A solicitor/barrister has failed to advise you properly about planning permission and building regulations.
• A solicitor/barrister has failed to draft a will properly.

Of course each case is different and your solicitor and/or barrister could have breached his duty in a number of other ways.

If your complaint is about poor service (e.g. failing to return telephone calls or just taking too long to do things) then you can make a complaint to the Legal Ombudsman who has the power to award you compensation for an inadequate service. This remedy may also be most appropriate if you wish to challenge the level of your legal bill.

There is also a fund set up to protect against loss caused by dishonest or fraudulent solicitors or barristers.

Our lawyers have a broad range of expertise across many practice areas enabling us to understand how your original matter should have been handled and therefore we can easily identify any claim you may have. It is important to use an experienced team as these claims can be complicated.

Please contact us today for a free no obligation discussion by calling one of the three telephone numbers at the top of this page, or by email: disputeresolution@curzongreen.co.uk