When a solicitor is negligent


We place great faith and trust in our solicitor and we expect them to do their job competently at all times. However, sometimes things do go wrong and when a solicitor makes a mistake, the effects can be devastating.

Our professional negligence solicitors look to help you repair the damage caused by negligent advice, by claiming compensation to reflect the financial loss you have suffered.

When you instruct a solicitor, you expect services that are at the very least of a reasonable standard. If a solicitor fails to provide competent advice and you suffer a financial loss, you may be able to bring a claim for professional negligence.

The test as to whether the solicitor was negligent is whether the mistake is one that no reasonably competent professional should have made in the circumstances and whether it has caused you financial loss.

Examples of solicitor negligence

Here are some examples of when a solicitor may be negligent.

  • A conveyancing solicitor may have advised you badly in relation to a conveyancing transaction;
  • A litigation solicitor may have missed a deadline in your case causing it to be struck out or severely prejudiced;
  • A personal injury solicitor may have advised you to settle your claim for less than it was worth or not advised you properly about costs;
  • An employment solicitor may have missed the strict deadline to bring a tribunal claim or given bad advice on a redundancy settlement;
  • A commercial solicitor may have poorly drafted a shareholders agreement, a sale and purchase agreement or some other document which caused you to suffer loss;
  • A solicitor prepares a Will which does not reflect the client’s wishes or is not prepared in the best way to minimise an IHT liability;
  • A family solicitor fails to consider the value of a pension properly, allowing an under-settlement;
  • An immigration solicitor fails to get all the necessary evidence together to support an application or misses a deadline.

Why Wellers Reece-Jones?

Our litigation team has extensive experience in acting for clients who have suffered financial loss as a result of poor and negligent advice or representation from solicitors or barristers.

If you think your solicitor or barrister was negligent and your financial loss in excess of £10,000, call Jonathan Tyler in our Sevenoaks office on 01732 457575 or email jonathan.tyler@wellerslawgroup.com.