How to Deal with Legal Negligence
Are you disappointed with the outcome of your legal case? Legal negligence is rare, but it does happen. Whether you feel your lawyer gave you bad advice, or they didn’t fight hard enough for your case, you could be entitled to compensation.
Here, we’ll look at what you can do if you feel let down by your legal representation.
What is legal negligence?
Legal negligence is a type of professional negligence claim. Like any professional in an advisory role, lawyers are required to follow strict guidelines when working with clients. However, things can and do go wrong.
Some examples of legal negligence include:
- You were given poor advice which has resulted in a loss
- Failure to keep you up to date with the case
- Mishandling of the case
These are just a few examples of the issues you can experience when working with a solicitor.
A recent example of professional negligence is the rise in repossessions last year. Mortgage lenders were advised to claim against their legal advisors after a spate of repossessions.
Could you be entitled to compensation?
If professional negligence can be proven, you absolutely have a case. Before filing for one however, you’ll want to familiarise yourself with what is and what isn’t classed as negligence.
It’s worth reaching out to a reliable company who will assess your case and let you know if you have a claim. How much compensation you are entitled to will depend on the type and severity of the negligence.
Most of the time legal negligence claims are settled outside of court. So, don’t avoid making a claim out of fear.
Making a complaint
Before you do file a case of legal negligence, you’ll want to first make a complaint. All lawyers have a complaints procedure you should follow, alerting them to the fact you aren’t happy with the service received.
While this can be a daunting step, it will help you to set the ball rolling. You can also use a different, respected solicitor to help you through the process. If you have already complained and the matter hasn’t been resolved, you will be in a much stronger position when presenting your negligence claim.
When something goes wrong with your legal case, it can feel like you’ve been majorly let down. However, if negligence has occurred, you are entitled to compensation. The above is just a brief guide on what you can do if you feel you have been let down legally.
*This is a collaborative post.
