Q: I have quite a long running personal injury claim that is being handled by a solicitor I found on the internet. At the moment the case seems to be going reasonably well. I know that we are heading towards a trial and I am aware that I have got to go and see medical experts.
The trouble is, however, that I have got absolutely no idea when anything needs to be done by or even when the trial date is going to be. This is really awkward because I have got to have an operation for a hip replacement and I am worried that I don’t know which dates I can go to hospital. Is it usual for solicitors not to tell people what is going on?
A: It can happen, but there really is no excuse for this. In the normal scheme of things, once the Court has set out a timetable or directions leading to a trial, then the solicitor should send you a copy of them together with a letter setting out what all the deadlines are. If the solicitor starts getting behind with the preparation then you may not be at his or her beck and call when there is some “catching up” to do.
In our opinion pursuing litigation should always a matter of teamwork. A good solicitor will always keep you informed about the timetable and when they need some input from you. If your relationship with your solicitor has broken down, now might be the time to switch your instructions to a different firm before anything disastrous happens. You can find a list of local solicitors on The Law Society website who have accreditations in various areas of law. Choosing a local firm with the right accreditation should give you peace of mind.
Article 20/05/2019
Claire Parfitt
Senior Solicitor
Part of our Civil Litigation, Personal Injury and Dispute Resolution team in Oswestry and Wrexham
Robert Williams
Partner and Complaints Handler
Partner and Head of the Civil Litigation, Personal Injury and Dispute Resolution team in Wrexham