What is the role of specialist No Win No Fee solicitors?
Over the course of our lives, it is guaranteed that, at some point, we will need legal advice– whether that is when buying a house, going through a divorce or claiming for personal injury. Unfortunately, however, sometimes solicitors fail to perform to the standard that’s expected. That’s where we come in.
If you’ve been let down by a professional, you may have already paid a lot of money for their service, so spending more money on making a claim can seem like a last resort. The good news is that we handle the vast majority of our cases on No Win No Fee basis.
Claims against professionals for negligence are becoming increasingly common. For anyone who has been let down by a professional, and has suffered harm or loss as a result, making a claim for compensation may be a viable legal option.
Remember, any professional person working for you owes you a duty of care. As a qualified and practising professional, they are obliged to provide a level of care, professionalism and service commensurate with that of their peers (i.e. other professionals working in the same field).
However, on occasion, mistakes occur. When this happens, it is important to know that there are qualified and experienced specialist No Win No Fee solicitors available whose aim is to get you the compensation you deserve. You may also be surprised to learn that, in most cases, specialist professional negligence solicitors will be able to pursue your claim for you on a No Win No Fee basis.
What is a No Win No Fee professional negligence claim?
One of the biggest fears that anyone has in considering litigation is the potential financial implications. At Been Let Down, though, we take on cases on what is known as a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA), commonly referred to as No Win No Fee. This means that, if we are not successful with your claim, then we will not charge any fee.
If we win your claim, then we will charge a Success Fee; the amount that this will be is simply a percentage of damages awarded, which we will agree with you upfront. Due to our wealth of experience and specialist knowledge, we pride ourselves on being able to beat the Success Fees offered by other solicitors.
We can also offer extremely competitive After-the-Event (ATE) insurance should this be necessary. ATE insurance covers you in case you become liable for the defendant’s costs if you were to lose your claim. This offers further peace of mind and assurance that your financial interests are protected.
What are the most common types of professional negligence claims?
Having worked as specialist No Win No Fee solicitors for professional negligence cases for over 15 years, we’ve helped countless clients to receive the compensation that they deserve. Some of the most common professional negligence claims against solicitors with which we deal include:
- Conveyancing
- Wills and probate
- Personal injury
- Medical negligence
- Civil litigation
- Commercial litigation
- Divorce
What are the most common types of solicitor negligence claims?
As specialist No Win No Fee lawyers, we handle a huge number of cases in which solicitors have been negligent. Some of the most common reasons why clients bring us on as No Win No Fee solicitors include:
- Solicitors missing the time limits during which legal proceedings must begin
- Mistakes drafting a will
- Bad property advice – this could include failing to advise on whether a commercial lease is a secure tenancy, inaccurate advice as to property ownership, failing to advise about rights of way affecting the property or failure to advise on planning permission
- Under-settling personal injury claims
- Non-compliance with court directions resulting in your case being struck out
- Suing the wrong party
- Leaving solicitors costs or court fees unpaid
However, this list is not exhaustive. If you believe that your solicitor has acted negligently but your circumstances don’t appear above, you may still have a case. If you think that you may have a case, it’s important to get in touch with our team of No Win No Fee lawyers straight away, as professional negligence claims are time-sensitive.
Can I make a No Win No Fee professional negligence claim?
When you hire a professional for help, it’s expected that they will perform to a reasonable degree of skill and care. Although sometimes we may receive a service that isn’t perfect, normally this won’t be classed as negligent.
If you believe that you have experienced exceptionally bad advice, you may be able to make a No Win No Fee claim if you can prove that:
- No reasonable of competent professionals working in the same field would have offered that advice.
- The professional in question did not adhere to common standards of practice in their field.
For you to have a claim, you will need to be able to show that the professional did either of the above and that this has caused you losses as a result.
How do I make a professional negligence claim?
Our No Win No Fee solicitors should be able to assist you with bringing your claim against a solicitor.
The first step in bringing a No Win No Fee professional negligence case is always speaking to us. Whatever your circumstances, we will always be sensitive to your situation. People are often experiencing high levels of stress when they contact us, so we make sure to always treat each case individually.
All initial enquiries are completely free and with totally no obligation to you. We will use this initial consultation period to establish whether you have a valid case for negligence or just a complaint. We will listen carefully and consider your situation and all of the facts of your case. Then, if we determine that your case has a reasonable chance of success, it is very likely that we will agree to take on your claim.
How much can I sue a solicitor for?
It’s impossible for us to tell you exactly how much you could receive as each case varies based on your own unique circumstances, how much you’ve lost and how detrimental the negligence was.
However, as your No Win No Fee solicitors, we will explore this aspect of your claim in detail as your case progresses with us and advise you appropriately about what losses you are able to claim. When analysing how much compensation you could be awarded, we will consider how much money you have lost and what position you would be in if the professional in question had not acted negligently.
How long do I have to make a No Win No Fee claim?
Under the Limitation Act 1980, time limits are placed on claims by the courts. This is to ensure that the gathering of evidence and preparation of a case can still be undertaken reliably by our No Win No Fee solicitors as they handle the progress of your claim.
As a guide, normally, you have six years from the date that the negligence took place, but this will depend on the type of claim that you are making. If the effects of the negligence are only apparent later down the line, you may have three years from a later date. It can be difficult to accurately assess when the time limit to start a claim so you should still contact us even if you suspect that the time limit may have expired.
If you think you may have a claim, it’s important to act as soon as possible. The sooner that you contact us, the better. By making a claim as soon as possible, we will be able to gather the evidence we need more quickly, so the chances are that we can settle your claim quicker, too.
Will I understand my No Win No Fee contract?
Your No Win No Fee lawyers will explain to you the contract before you agree to go ahead. The fee that we charge is always pre-agreed, so there will be no nasty surprises further down the line.
There is no obligation to go ahead, either. If you change your mind, we won’t pressure you into pursuing your case with us.
Who will pay my compensation?
Many professionals will have professional indemnity insurance in place for the purpose of instances like this, so that they can afford to pay compensation for negligence. We will explore this with you at an early stage of your claim.
All that means is that the compensation you will win with us as your No Win No Fee solicitors is paid to you directly from the professional’s insurance provider.
Why choose Been Let Down as your No Win No Fee lawyers?
If we do take on your No Win No Fee claim, then you will be speaking to one of our highly experienced No Win No Fee Solicitors from the very start. Been Let Down solicitors are accredited by the Solicitors Regulation Authority so that you can be sure of the very best representation from day one.
It is easy to make a claim. Either fill in our initial online claim form or, if you’d prefer, give us a call. We will then discuss and assess the details of your situation and let you know how we can help. It is important not to delay seeking help as there is often a time limit to bring claims.
Once you get in touch, we will quickly assess your case and get things under way if we believe that you have a strong case for compensation. All initial enquiries related to professional negligence solicitors and No Win No Fee claims are, of course, free of charge and at no obligation to you.
Contact us today
Get in touch today and find out how we can help with your case for professional negligence compensation and represent you as your skilled No Win No Fee solicitors.
Call us on 0800 234 3234 or contact us and a member of our team will call you back.
Rob Godfrey is the Head of Professional Negligence at Been Let Down. He is regarded as one of the UK’s leading negligence experts with over 25 years’ experience in litigation.
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