Criminal Solicitors Professional Negligence Claims
If you have been involved in the criminal justice system you will already have suffered the stress and anxiety, which this inevitably causes. If in addition your Solicitor has negligently lost your Criminal Defence case or damaged it as a result of their negligence you will not only have suffered a loss but will rightly feel badly let down.
It is important to realise in these circumstances that not all Solicitors are the same and that if you had a good enough Criminal Defence, which was lost or damaged by a negligent Solicitor you should be able to recover the compensation you deserve, through a professional negligence claim against the Solicitor.
In most cases of negligence in Criminal Defence cases it is necessary to first exhaust all avenues of appeal, so that if your case is that, but for the negligence, your case would not have been dealt with in the same way, you try and demonstrate this by having the appeal Court change the decision in your favour, or, at least for it to refuse to do so for reasons connected with your Solicitors’ negligence. The subsequent Solicitors’ negligence case is often then about any sentence served whilst waiting for the original decision to be overturned.
There are many ways in which a Criminal Defence Solicitor might be negligent including:
| Advising you to plead guilty or not guilty against the weight of the evidence | Failing to advise correctly about confiscation, forfeiture, Restraint Orders and Proceeds of Crime proceedings |
| Failing to give an alibi notice | Failing to assess and use the correct remand time |
| Failing to make an application or appeal on time or at all | Misunderstanding the prosecution case |
| Misunderstanding your case | Misunderstanding the correct law or procedure |
| Failure to advise correctly about sentences | Failing to contact or use relevant witnesses |
| Failing to instruct or Brief a Barrister properly | Negligent representation at Trial |
| Failing to prepare your case properly | Failing to obtain or challenge expert evidence |
| Failing to consider or pursue relevant material or evidence | Failing to advise correctly about the negligence of a previous Solicitor |
As these claims are often complex it is equally important to choose a Solicitor with sufficient knowhow and experience in similar negligence claims against Solicitors to ensure that you receive the right help and guidance and to achieve the best outcome for your case.
Why Us ?
Firstly, we have dealt with these cases successfully before and know what we are doing. Secondly, in addition to our specialist knowledge and experience we always adopt a personal, friendly and caring approach and are committed to helping people like you. We always put your interests first in trying to achieve the best outcome for you.
It is important to use an experienced team when it comes to making any sort of claim against a Solicitor or other legal professional because these cases are often complex and difficult and the Solicitors and Lawyers’ Insurers will use many legal arguments to challenge your claim. This is particularly the case when the subject matter of the claim is a previous Criminal Defence case. When a Criminal Defence case goes wrong there are often difficult aspects to the case, which led the Solicitor to make a mistake. This gives the Solicitors’ Insurers the opportunity to argue that not only was there no negligence, but also even if there was, your Defence would not have succeeded or you would not have obtained the outcome, which you say, was lost by the Solicitor.
Our team specialises in professional negligence claims against Solicitors and other lawyers, which means that whatever type of claim you need to make we can help. All of our current professional negligence cases are against Solicitors and other lawyers.
We have over 25 years experience in pursuing Solicitors negligence claims from all around England and Wales you can feel sure that our team of legal experts can help you get the compensation you deserve.
We have specific experience of pursuing successful claims against Solicitors where the Solicitor has lost the Criminal case or damaged it as a result of their negligence.
In addition to the expertise of our Solicitors we are able to rely upon the additional expertise of specialist Counsel and other experts appropriate for your case, from our contacts built up over many years. We have a lot of experience in complex cases, which means that whether your claim involves Solicitors, Barristers or other legal professionals your claim will be in safe hands.
Costs Involved
When it comes to getting the legal advice and support you need we understand the cost is the last thing you want to worry about! We offer everyone a free assessment over the telephone or via email and will even give you advice there and then if we can! Moving on from that if your claim is good enough we’ll give you no win no fee funding – so you only pay solicitor fees if you make a successful claim and most of your costs can be recovered from the losing party!
What Next ?
With most legal matters It is better to take action sooner rather than later. We know that contacting a Solicitor can create anxiety itself, which is why you can contact us without obligation.
We are committed to protecting your information and privacy in accordance with the law and will only use your information for the purposes of dealing with your enquiry and in accordance with our Privacy Policy, which can be found by clicking on this link.
Call us on 0800 043 9981 or dial 0333 577 0172 if calling from a mobile.
or contact us via email on enquiry@matthewwilkinson.co.uk we’ll have a no obligation chat with you about what you need and what you hope to achieve. We’ll happily answer any questions or queries you have and give you advice on how to progress your matter.
You can be sure if you contact us that whatever you ask us to do for you will be handled professionally and efficiently, so you can get the best outcome possible without any of the hassle.
