Solicitor Negligence Claims
Last reviewed: September 2026 · EA Personal Injury Solicitors
Solicitors, like other professionals, owe their clients a duty to provide legal services with reasonable skill and care. Where a solicitor's negligence — a missed deadline, incorrect advice, or a failure to protect your interests — has caused you financial loss, EA Personal Injury Solicitors can help you claim compensation, acting entirely independently of the firm you are claiming against.
TL;DR — Quick Summary
Key Points
- Missed limitation and court deadlines are among the most common solicitor negligence claims
- Negligent conveyancing, will drafting and commercial advice are also frequent claim types
- It is standard practice to instruct a different, independent firm for this type of claim
- You must generally show your underlying claim or position had reasonable prospects of success
- Six-year (or three-year date of knowledge) limitation period generally applies
The Duty Solicitors Owe Their Clients
Solicitors owe their clients a duty, both in contract and in tort, to carry out their instructions with the reasonable skill and care of a competent solicitor practising in the relevant area of law. Where a solicitor falls below that standard — through an error, omission or failure to advise on a material risk — and this causes the client a financial loss, a claim for professional negligence may succeed.
Common Types of Solicitor Negligence
- Missed limitation deadlines — failing to issue court proceedings in time, causing an otherwise valid underlying claim to be lost
- Negligent conveyancing — failing to identify a defect in title, an unfavourable restrictive covenant, boundary issue or other material matter before a property purchase completed
- Will and probate errors — a negligently drafted will that fails to achieve the testator's intentions, or is invalidly executed
- Negligent commercial or contractual advice — failing to identify or advise on a significant risk in a transaction
- Litigation negligence — poor case handling, missed procedural deadlines, or negligent advice on settlement
- Conflicts of interest — acting for you where a conflict compromised the advice you received
Proving a Solicitor Negligence Claim
As with any professional negligence claim, you must show that the solicitor's conduct fell below the standard of a reasonably competent solicitor in the relevant field, and that this caused you a loss. Where the claim concerns a lost opportunity to pursue an underlying claim — for example, a missed limitation deadline — you will generally also need to show that the underlying claim itself had reasonable prospects of success, since compensation is assessed by reference to what you have actually lost.
Acting Independently
We act entirely independently of the solicitor or firm you are claiming against, as is standard practice in this area. We will review the file, obtain independent expert evidence on the standard that should have been met where appropriate, and advise you clearly on the merits and value of your claim.
Resolving Your Claim
Most solicitors' firms hold compulsory professional indemnity insurance, and claims are often notified to and handled by their insurer. We generally aim to resolve these claims through negotiation with the insurer wherever possible, reserving court proceedings for cases where a fair resolution cannot otherwise be reached.