Solicitors and barristers are there to provide expert legal advice when you need it most. If they make a mistake or advise you incorrectly, you could have grounds for a professional negligence claim.
Can solicitors and barristers be sued for negligence?
Yes! Solicitors and barristers are not immune from professional negligence claims. Just like any other profession, solicitors and barristers owe a duty of care to their clients. This means providing you with accurate legal advice, acting in your best interests, and delivering a reasonably competent level of service.
If the conduct of a solicitor or barrister falls below a reasonable standard, and this causes you to suffer in some way, you could make a professional negligence claim.
When can I sue a solicitor or barrister?
There are many situations in life when we need to turn to a legal professional for help. Whether we are making a claim, buying or selling a house, planning for the future by making a Will or Lasting Power of Attorney, or going through a divorce, we regularly rely on the input of legal experts.
This means there are various ways in which a professional negligence claim against a solicitor or barrister might arise. Some of the most common include –
- Settling a claim for less than its true value
- Missing a deadline so that a claim fails
- Providing inaccurate advice
- Making mistakes when drafting legal documents, such as a Will
- Failing to collect the necessary evidence
- Undersettling a divorce settlement
This is not an exhaustive list. If you think that your solicitor or barrister has acted negligently, we urge you to contact us at Solicitors Near Me UK. We can then connect you with professional negligence lawyer in your area.
How do I sue a solicitor or barrister?
When you make a professional negligence claim, you must prove that your solicitor or barrister owed you a duty of care, and that this duty was breached. You must then show that this caused you to suffer in some way.
Typically, you will have suffered financial losses because of a legal expert’s negligence. For instance, it might be that a claim failed or settled for less than it should have done. If so, you have lost out on the compensation to which you are rightfully entitled.
Or it might be that you bought a property on account of a solicitor’s advice, which later turned out to be defective. If so, you have lost the money you invested into the property, and the expense of rectifying these defects.
Whatever the circumstances, a professional negligence solicitor can advise whether you have grounds to sue your legal expert.
It might seem strange that you should instruct a solicitor to sue another solicitor, yet this is perfectly normal. You need not feel uncomfortable about it.
How much will it cost?
When you use Solicitors Near Me UK, there will be no charge or obligation on your part. We do this because we want to help people who have put their trust in other legal professionals, only to be let down. The solicitor we recommend can explain your funding options in more detail, recommending the best approach to you.
To be connected to a specialist professional negligence claim solicitor near to where you live, please either call us now on 0845 1391399 or complete a Free Online Enquiry ».
