Regulation & Client Protection
Talk Legal is not a firm of solicitors. We explain exactly what that means, what protections you do and do not have, and what you should consider before instructing us.
The important points, stated plainly:
- Talk Legal is not a firm of solicitors and is not authorised or regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA).
- We don’t currently carry professional indemnity insurance. If we make a negligent error, there’s no insurance policy maintained by Talk Legal to meet a professional negligence claim.
- We don’t hold client money, and claims about our own services are not covered by the SRA Compensation Fund.
These are real differences from instructing a regulated solicitors' firm, and you should weigh them before deciding who to instruct.
Talk Legal Limited is an independent legal services business.
We’re not a firm of solicitors and are not authorised or regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA).
We provide only those services which we may lawfully undertake without authorisation, or arrange for appropriately authorised independent professionals to provide services where the law requires it.
We don’t hold client money.
A litigation second opinion is an assessment of a matter that is being conducted elsewhere. It doesn’t make us your representatives, and we don’t take over the conduct of the case or write to the other side on your behalf. Communications with us don’t ordinarily attract legal advice privilege, which is why the second opinions page explains the difference before you send documents.
The protections available when instructing Talk Legal are different from those available when instructing an SRA-regulated solicitors' firm.
Talk Legal was founded by Bryan Slater. He practised as a solicitor from 1980 until 2011 and has more than 40 years of legal and commercial experience, including in civil litigation, contractual and commercial disputes, property matters, employment disputes, negotiation and advocacy.
That experience is used to reduce a complicated history to the issues that matter, to identify the evidence needed to prove or defend a case, and to present the position clearly in correspondence, documents and hearings.
His professional status should be understood accurately: he practised as a solicitor from 1980 until 2011 and, since then, has continued to act — unregulated — for substantial clients, particularly in and around Manchester and in London. He is not a current or SRA-authorised solicitor. Nothing on this website should be read as describing him as a current solicitor, or as suggesting that his former professional status confers any present authorisation.
Talk Legal Limited does not currently carry professional indemnity insurance.
Unlike an SRA-regulated solicitors' firm, Talk Legal is not required to maintain the compulsory professional indemnity insurance prescribed by the SRA.
If Talk Legal makes a negligent error, clients will not have the benefit of an insurance policy maintained by Talk Legal to meet a professional negligence claim.
This is an important difference which prospective clients should consider before instructing us.
Where work is independently undertaken by an authorised solicitor or regulated firm, that provider's own regulatory and insurance arrangements may apply to the services it supplies. The position will be explained when appropriate.
Our approach to fees
We generally assess a matter before proposing a charge, and we explain the work and proposed costs in writing before you commit. Read more about how our prices work or about our free assessment, and the limits of what you can rely on in our disclaimer and liability caps.
No VAT is currently charged on fees
Questions about our regulatory position?
If you have questions about our regulatory status or what protection you would have before instructing us, please ask. We would rather answer the question now than have you discover the answer later.
Or email us at win@talklegal.net