Professional Negligence Against a Solicitor for Missing Time Limits

When we hire the services of a professional like a solicitor, we expect a certain standard and trust them to do their job properly. 

 

Unfortunately, this is not always the case. While someone may spend many years developing expertise in a particular legal area, they can still make mistakes. 

 

If your solicitor fails to get the right paperwork in on time or misses other time limits such as those set by the court, it could mean that your claim or action fails. The good news is that you may be able to make a claim for professional negligence and seek compensation. 

 

DSM Legal is a Warrington-based legal practice that specialises in professional negligence claims. It might seem odd for a solicitor to take on another solicitor but it’s actually fairly common. At DSM Legal, we act directly for our clients and no one else, making sure they get all the right support and advice they need. 

 

 

The law is a very complex area and covers many areas from personal injury and employment issues to family law, conveyancing and will and probate services. 

 

In some cases, there are strict time limits or rules. These might mean you can’t, for example, apply for compensation after a set period has gone by. Your solicitor, when you hire them, should be aware of these limits. That applies whether they are handling a personal injury claim or sorting out the conveyancing for your property sale. 

 

We all make mistakes and solicitors are only human, of course. But when time limits are missed this can have a huge impact on the client and mean a significant financial loss. The fact that a solicitor may be extremely busy and misses a deadline is no excuse – they have a duty of care to you as a client to handle your case properly. 

 

 

In practically every area of law, there are certain time limits that need to be adhered to. In personal injury or negligence cases, for example, you need to make a claim for compensation within a certain time period. In conveyancing, searches have to be carried out in a reasonable period and documents exchanged on time. Courts can also set deadlines when handling cases. 

 

Delay means that either a claim is struck out or falls into the category of being statute-barred (meaning the official time limit for making an initial claim has been exceeded). 

 

 

While it might sound counter-intuitive, engaging the services of a professional negligence solicitor is important and you need to do it as soon as possible. The kinds of mistakes that we often see at DSM Legal when we handle these types of cases include: 

 

 

Solicitors negligence covers a wider range of issues and mistakes can be made in a number of areas. They may have handled your employment issue badly. Perhaps you were claiming for medical negligence and your solicitor failed to do a good job. Conveyancing is another area where there can be claims for a variety of reasons, including failing to get the right paperwork or contracts completed and sent in on time. 

 

What to Think About 

 

If you’ve had a bad experience with a solicitor and don’t know what to do next, it’s important to get advice. You may think that you’ve had enough of legal firms and there’s nothing you can do. It’s important to realise that, just like any other sector, there are good and bad services. 

 

At DSM Legal in Warrington, we pride ourselves in delivering the support, advice and legal guidance that our clients are looking for. You’ll get a sympathetic solicitor to sit down with you and work through your case and you’ll get no-nonsense advice in plain English, so you know where you stand. 

 

Solicitors, like many professional services, must have indemnity insurance in place. Even if they don’t, that doesn’t mean you can’t make a claim. We’ll make sure we investigate this at the start of the claim, so you know what options are available. 

 

There are time limits associated with professional negligence claims for solicitors. These normally stand at 6 years from the time the negligence took place. Sometimes this can be extended if there are exceptional circumstances, particularly if you only became aware of the problem at a later date. 

 

As soon as you become aware of any professional negligence, therefore, it's vital to contact a good legal team and discuss things with them. 

 

 

One thing that may put you off making a professional negligence claim against a solicitor is the cost in fees. The good news is that we provide a no win no fee service. This means that, if we think you have a good case, we’ll take it on without charging initial fees. 

 

If the claim is completed successfully and you are awarded compensation, we then take a percentage of that award. At DSM Legal, we’re open and transparent about our fee charges, so you’ll have a good idea of what everything is going to cost once the claim is settled. 

 

In the meantime, while the claim is ongoing, you’ll get all the support and advice you need to make the right decisions heading forward. 

 

 

Missing time limits is probably one of the most common issues we see when handling solicitor professional negligence claims. DSM Legal have expert teams on hand who are ready to listen to your story and give you the good advice that you need right now. 

 

Our offices are based in Warrington and Wigan, but we have clients across the North West. If you feel that your solicitor has been professionally negligent and you need to make a claim, contact us today on 01925 937070.