Claims for Missed Time Limit by Solicitor

Duncan Lewis Professional Negligence Solicitors – Claims for Missed Time Limit by a Solicitor

Disputes with professionals such as a solicitor who is negligent may involve a missed time limit for serving a claim – or delays in making a claim for Judicial Review; for example, after an inquest verdict.

If a solicitor missed the time limit for serving a claim, it can result in a client not having access to justice. In these cases, the result can be devastating personally and financially – or may cause a business to lose out on a property deal.

Under the 1980 Limitation Act, there are set time limits for legal processes, such as making claims for compensation.

Different time limits apply to different types of cases and legal processes:

• Civil claims usually need to be served within six years
• Conveyancing is usually completed within eight weeks and online conveyancing is often faster
• Employment Law cases usually involve a claim being brought at an employment Tribunal within three or six months
• Human Rights claims should be brought within one year of the event or verdict which may constitute a breach of human rights
• Judicial Review claims should be made as soon as possible after a verdict or ruling and within three months
• Personal Injury claims should be made within three years of the date of injury or diagnosis of injury – or up to the age of 21 in the case of children

A solicitor must keep a client advised of the progress of a case and draft and serve the necessary legal documents for a claim – including preparing papers needed for a hearing or a trial.

Solicitors must also respond to correspondence on behalf a client in accordance with court proceedings – and failure to do so or disclose necessary information in a timely manner may be detrimental to a client’s case.

Clients whose case has been prejudiced or has collapsed because of a missed time limit by a solicitor should take expert legal advice on the possibility of making a professional negligence claim against a solicitor who missed a deadline.

It is crucial that any case of professional negligence is assessed thoroughly by claims expert who also have expertise in the relevant field of law – for example, employment law or property law – to pinpoint where a case has been prejudiced by a negligent solicitor.

Duncan Lewis is acknowledged as one of the UK’s leading claims firms, with expertise in professional negligence cases.

Duncan Lewis solicitors also advise on all areas of the law, including Human Rights and civil liberties – and therefore have access to in-house legal experts in any field of law, who can help assess where a case in which a solicitor missed a deadline has gone wrong for a client and decide what the remedy should be.

Making a Claim for Professional Negligence

Clients who suffer financial loss or other loss as a result of a solicitor who is negligent should first make a complaint through the solicitor’s own complaints procedure.

The Legal Ombudsman can also adjudicate in cases where a solicitor is negligent and missed a deadline but any compensation awarded may be modest.

Clients considering suing a solicitor for a missed time limit have six years from the date of the event constituting negligence – or three years from the date they first realised negligence had occurred – in which to make a professional negligence claim.

Funding Professional Negligence Claims for Missed Time Limit by a Solicitor

Duncan Lewis understands that suing a solicitor can be a daunting prospect, especially after the trauma of a case involving a missed deadline by a solicitor.

Duncan Lewis professional negligence solicitors take a tough stance in making a claim against a negligent solicitor who has let a client down by missing a deadline or time limit in a case – and will press for maximum damages.

Duncan Lewis lawyers offer clients a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA) to fund professional negligence claims.

Duncan Lewis also offers a fixed fee to cover the costs of the initial client meeting and case assessment – so our professional negligence clients know from the outset how much they will have to pay.

If a solicitor handling your case has prejudiced the outcome by missing a time limit and provided a negligent service that resulted in loss, call Duncan Lewis Professional Negligence Solicitors for more information about making a compensation claim on 020 7923 4020.