First visit to a medical negligence solicitor

The first meeting with your solicitor should be free and not put you under any obligation.

It should have two purposes:

The first is for you to explain to your solicitor in detail exactly what happened. By the time you have this meeting you will most likely have already discussed the incident with the solicitor over the telephone. However, there is no substitute for talking to someone face to face and your first meeting is an opportunity to fully explain what happened to you.

The second purpose of the first meeting is for your solicitor to explain all of your options for bringing a case. This will include a discussion about how cases are funded (eg under "no win, no fee" agreements and legal aid).

What you should tell your solicitor

You should come to the meeting ready to tell your solicitor every detail of what occured. Many people find it helpful to prepare notes that they bring with them to the meeting. If you have any documents, such as a response to a complaint made to an NHS Trust, you should give this to your solicitor before the meeting so that he or she can read it prior to the meeting. When describing what happened to your solicitor you should give as much detail as possible. Do not edit out information that you think is not relevant as sometimes details that may appear to be irrelevant turn out to be critical.

What your solicitor should tell you

Your solicitor should give you a good idea of what is involved in bringing a claim. They should also explain to you how cases are funded. Depending on your circumstances, the alteratives are that the case is funded under legal aid, under a no win no fee agreement, or by legal expenses insurance. How funding works, especially "no win, no fee" agreements, is complicated and therefore it is important that your solicitor explains fully how your case will be funded.

Selecting a solicitor

Medical negligence cases and claims to sue the NHS can last a long time and it is therefore critical that you find a solicitor you feel you can work with over a long period of time. You should therefore see your first meeting with your solicitor as a type of interview - where you are interviewing him or her to see if they are the right person for you. 

You should not hesitate to have a first meeting with a variety of solicitors so that you can choose the one who you feel is best able to successfully represent you and maximise the amount of compensation obtained for you.