Chris MacCafferty – Professional Negligence Solicitor
Well fortunately most professionals do know what they are doing and will provide you with the service you deserve to receive.
However, some will not. Unfortunately mistakes do happen, it’s what you do about it that counts. As an old colleague and friend of mine used to say thats’s why cars have bumpers and professionals have insurance – mistakes happen.
With the vast library that is the web people are a lot more knowledgeable about the jobs professionals do. Consequently it was my belief that most people felt more comfortable raising concerns with professionals as they had a good grasp of what there rights were and if not where they could read up on it.
However, I was reading in the Law Society Gazette recently that one of the focussed groups reasons for wanting to name and shame solicitors was due to the high esteem held for solicitors and therefore the reluctance and almost fear that Clients have of questioning them.
The article said:
The focus group report said: Solicitors are held in a degree of respect bordering on awe, that is awarded to few professionals other than perhaps doctors.
It found a strong degree of reluctance to complain about solicitors, due to a fear [by consumers]that the solicitor will be able to outsmart them!
Consumers felt that a system whereby findings against a firm were only published if three complaints had been upheld within a year would avoid penalising the occasional lapse and be relatively less onerous on small firms.
(Consumers back name and shame complaints policy “24.02.11)
Now I’m not sure that Solicitors are as universally held in such high esteem as they used to be. Certainly the Clients I have acted for in the main have not been frightened of challenging their professionals.
I guess that is the nub of it. If people are suppressing genuine causes for complaint and worse still forgoing losses suffered as a result of a negligent solicitor then they must seek the help of a solicitor who can advise them; whether this is advising on whether they should make a complaint or bring a claim to recover their losses or both.
As a profession we need to raise awareness amongst consumers that there is such help available from the profession.
If you feel you have been let down by a professional and are not sure what to do or indeed you are not sure whether there is cause for complaint please contact me. I can help.
