An ever-changing and fast growing area of the law, we make it our business to keep on top of all the latest developments to help protect our clients when previous professional advisers get things wrong. We understand the importance of your reputation, the need for swift resolutions and a professional and diligent approach to what can be very sensitive issues.
We’ll consider alternatives to court, and if these aren’t an option we’ll use our skills to resolve problems constructively. Each case is unique, and we treat it that way, tailoring our decisions to get the right results for your or your business. We now have a much bigger range of funding options than ever before, allowing you to reach a solution as inexpensively as you can.
How can our professional negligence solicitors help?
We specialise in helping with professional negligence disputes involving:
- Financial institutions (including financial advisers (IFAs), tax advisers, fidelity and white collar crime)
- Accountants
- Surveyors
- Insurance brokers
- Construction companies, engineers and architects
- Solicitors
Our specialist team acts for claimants and defendants, ranging from private individuals to multinational corporations, insurers and top 10 accountancy firms. We’re also here to help high street practices and small business too. We give everyone the same commitment and thorough work practices to resolve disputes as quickly and as fairly as we can.
We’ve developed a team of professional negligence lawyers who offer specialist advice about strategy, prospects of success and costs.
We advise clients about the prospect of a claim or defence succeeding, and keep that advice under review as the case progresses. That is especially important as evidence and other documents are disclosed, or as evidence is gathered on your behalf. Coupled with that is advice about the cost and benefit of any particular course of action.
In turn, that then means that you are able at each stage to make informed choices about the way forward.
What is the process?
No two cases are the same, and the advice which our professional negligence solicitors give you will necessarily be directed at your particular circumstances. In general terms, cases go through these stages:
- Pre-action / investigation: typically, a prospective claimant will send a letter of claim or letter before action which sets out the claim, and the prospective defendant will investigate and respond. We find that we can provide very useful advice to clients if instructed at an early stage. That then helps you to lay the groundwork to protect your position as far as possible. This includes advising about what information needs to be provided to the other parties, and what information should be provided by them to you.
- Alternative dispute resolution (ADR): although attempts to settle professional negligence claims can be made at any stage and so permeate the whole process, the pre-action protocols encourage the parties to consider ways of making offers early, before the stakes get too high. LA’s team includes experienced negotiators, who can advise you about the options and how best to approach “without prejudice” and other settlement dialogue.
- Court proceedings: the key stages usually involve setting out the claim and defence, disclosing relevant documents, exchanging evidence including experts’ reports and a final hearing.
- Appeals: our team has dealt with appeals at every level, including in the Court of Appeal and former House of Lords. We are therefore well placed to advise about appeals if it becomes necessary.
How long does a professional negligence claim take?
The length of a case depends on a large number of factors, including the success of negotiations and the court’s timetable.