Legal Negligence - Barristers and Solicitors
Solicitors and barristers owe their client a duty of care. The standard expected of the legal advice and assistance they offer is high due to their specialist qualifications and the trust their clients put in them. Fortunately the vast majority of solicitors and barristers are not negligent. However with £22bn spent every year on legal advice in the UK, there are occasions when, sadly, negligent mistakes are made.
Types of Legal Negligence
Common examples of solicitor or barrister negligence include:
- Failure to observe time limits
- Badly drafted wills
- Poor advice
- Wrongly drafted court pleadings
- Misappropriation of client money
These acts of legal professional negligence are quite different from bad service such as not keeping the client informed of developments in a transaction or providing incomplete advice – which would not give rise to a claim for legal negligence.
The good news is that solicitors must have professional indemnity insurance of at least £2m – which means there's always someone to claim against who has money to pay compensation for any legal negligence. This doesn't apply however if a solicitor or barrister was dishonest or fraudulent.
Contact us about your Legal Negligence Claim today
If you believe you may have a legal professional negligence claim against your solicitor or barrister, it is crucial that you seek independent legal advice before starting a claim. Our solicitors will be able to confirm if your solicitor or barrister was negligent and can tell you your chances of success.
Wherever you live in the UK, from Bournemouth to Bedfordshire, if you think you may have a claim against a negligent solicitor or barrister, contact our specialist solicitors. We can advise you either by phone or e-mail, or you can meet one of our team at our offices in Wiltshire, Hampshire and Dorset.
For a FREE first consultation on your Legal Negligence Claim, call