"Dear Peter Thank you very much for your kind response to my enquiry. Thanks to your help I have found a solicitor in my local area that can help me. I am very grateful for your help. Kind regards Leanne" Continue Reading
by Peter Brash
Will Writer Problems Highlighted By Consumer Research
In Scotland and elsewhere in the UK, some legal services can only be provided by regulated legal professionals, such as solicitors and advocates. However, legal advice in other areas, including will writing, may be delivered by people who are not regulated. The risks of lack of regulation In a House of Commons debate on the issue in 2008, Lorely Burt (then MP for Solihull) commented that: “ …someone could be a convicted fraudster, set up as a will writer tomorrow with no qualifications, experience or professional indemnity insurance and proceed to dispense advice on tax, inheritance laws and so on. Most consumers are unable to judge the quality or value of the service that they are getting, so it is no exaggeration to say that will writing has become a happy hunting ground for the incompetent, the dishonest and the fly-by-night operator.” She also went on to acknowledge that there were many ethical operators and, indeed, professional bodies for will writers. Nevertheless, as she Continue Reading
How Long Until My Claim Finishes (Once Liability Is Admitted)?
[NOTE: This article is now also a podcast episode, which you can access here, if you would prefer to listen to the content rather than read it] "If the insurance company admit liability and arrange for an independent medical report, how long do they get to make a settlement offer?" This is a question we received via a Free Enquiry to our website. Another way to put the question would be: once the third party insurers have accepted responsibility to pay compensation to me, how long until my claim finishes? Assumptions made: no solicitor but "proper" medical examination In order to answer the question, we have to assume some things: That you do not have a solicitor and that you are dealing directly with an insurance company. (You say that they have admitted liability and so they should be willing to make an offer of compensation to you.) That the insurers have instructed an independent medical expert, who has examined you and the relevant medical records. (The Continue Reading
"I broke a bone in my foot as a result of a fall on a footpath in the centre of Elgin. I tripped at a point where the path had not been properly finished and there was a lump of concrete sticking up. Peter Brash was excellent in guiding me through the process. Nothing ever seemed to be a bother. He kept me constantly updated via phone calls and face to face meetings. The Council accepted responsibility for the defect in the footpath and my claim for compensation was successful, without the need for a court action. I feel I received an efficient and very professional service. I especially liked the fact that I was able to deal with a local solicitor. Keep up the good work." AS, Hopeman Continue Reading