Personal Law > Civil Dispute Resolution > Professional Negligence

Professional Negligence

When a professional gets it wrong, the consequences can be significant - whether through poor advice, missed steps, or a failure to protect your position.

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Our Dispute Resolution team provides clear, practical advice to help you assess your position and take the next steps.

If you have suffered loss as a result, it is important to understand what has gone wrong and whether you have a claim.

How we can help

Professional negligence disputes require a careful and methodical approach. We begin by understanding what has happened and identifying whether the conduct in question falls below the required standard. From there, we assess causation, loss, and the overall viability of a claim.

Where appropriate, we guide clients through the pre-action process and engage with the professional or their insurers with a view to resolving matters at an early stage. Many claims can be settled through negotiation or alternative dispute resolution, avoiding the need for court proceedings.

However, where a satisfactory resolution cannot be achieved, we are experienced in pursuing claims through the courts and will take a robust approach where needed.

Throughout, our focus is on achieving a practical and commercially sensible outcome.

A clear and supportive approach

We recognise that bringing a claim against a professional - particularly one you have relied upon - can be a significant step. Our role is to provide clear, straightforward advice, manage the process on your behalf, and put you in the best possible position to recover your losses.

Speak to our Dispute Resolution team

If you believe you may have a professional negligence claim, or simply want to understand your position, we are here to help.

TESTIMONIAL

"Grace was a pleasure to deal with in what was a tricky time to navigate. She answered my questions clearly and always made it easy to understand the legal side. I asked lots of questions and she was always happy to help in a clear and concise manner"

Gemma

Frequently Asked Questions

Professional negligence arises where a professional you have trusted - such as a solicitor, surveyor, accountant, or financial adviser - fails to carry out their work to the standard reasonably expected, and you suffer loss as a result. All professionals owe their clients a duty of care. If that duty is breached, and it causes you financial loss, you may have a claim. It is not enough that something has simply gone wrong - the conduct must fall below the standard expected of a reasonably competent professional in that field. In practice, these claims often arise where incorrect advice has been given, key steps have been missed, or risks have not been properly identified or managed.
If you suspect that something has gone wrong, it is important to seek advice at an early stage. Professional negligence claims can be complex, and strict time limits apply. Delay can affect both your ability to bring a claim and the quality of the available evidence. Clients typically approach us after suffering a financial loss, losing the opportunity to pursue a claim, or finding themselves in a significantly worse position than they should have been. Even if you are unsure whether negligence has occurred, early advice can help clarify your position and avoid matters escalating further.
Claims can arise across a wide range of professions. We regularly advise in relation to potential claims against solicitors, surveyors, accountants, financial advisers, and other professionals whose advice or services have caused loss. The legal basis of these claims will depend on the circumstances, but commonly involves negligence, breach of contract, or breach of fiduciary duty.
The aim of a professional negligence claim is to place you, so far as possible, in the position you would have been in had the negligence not occurred. This will usually involve recovering financial losses directly caused by the error. In some cases, this may include the loss of an opportunity - for example, where a claim has been lost or a transaction has gone wrong due to negligent advice. Each case turns on its own facts, and careful analysis is required to properly assess the value of any claim.
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