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August 2026 Page 3 AD SALES 01204 478812 PROUD dad Julian Coleman enjoyed a very special family moment during a graduation cer- emony at Bolton Town Hall. The University of Greater Manches- ter Assistant Vice Chancellor pre- sented a first-class degree in games design to his son Oscar. Julian, who presided over the cer- emony said: “It was lovely to be able to present Oscar with his degree, I’m very proud.” Oscar, 26, added: “I’ve had a bril- liant time in Bolton, the course was really good.” The university held a series of grad- uation ceremonies at the town hall over the course of a week. BBC journalist and Mastermind presenter Clive Myrie, one of the university’s Pro Chancellors, presented graduates from the school of health, science and society with their degrees. Clive who was born and brought up in Bolton, said: “It’s always great to be back in my home town.” The Earl of St Andrews, the univer- sity’s Chancellor, also presided over ceremonies, which were attended by honorary doctors and guests. Well done son! Family moment: Julian and Oscar Coleman (Photo credit: UGM) Homecoming: Clive Myrie (Photo credit: UGM) Bury Head Office 2 Manchester Road, Bury Lancashire, BL9 0DT. T: 0161 764 5266 Open 9AM-5PM Little Lever Office 58 Market Street, Little Lever Bolton, BL3 1HN. T: 01204 709959 Open 9AM-5PM www.clough-willis.co.uk @BurySolicitor info@clough-willis.co.uk We believe that experience counts when it comes to matters of family and personal law. Our team of specialist solicitors provide free, 20 minute consultations on the following: • Employment Law • Wills, Probate, Trusts & Tax Planning • Personal Injury • Family Matters • Property Law • Litigation/Dispute Resolution Call us now on 0800 083 0815 to book your free appointment! Loyal, resilient and trustworthy Advertiser’s announcement WHAT EXACTLY IS PROFESSIONAL NEGLIGENCE? A professional is someone whose job has involved years of training and requires a formal qualification such as architects, accountants, barristers, engineers, financial advisers, insur- ance brokers, solicitors, surveyors and tax advisers. Professionals such as these owe a duty of care to their clients to meet the standards expected of a reason- ably competent professional in that particular field of expertise. If they fail to reach the standard and you, as their client, suffer loss as a result, you can claim financial compensation from them for profes- sional negligence. Most professionals are legally required to have special insurance known as Professional Indemnity Insurance. This removes one of the biggest risks in litigation which is that the opponent has insufficient funds to pay the claim. WHAT ARE THE TIME LIMITS FOR BRINGING A PROFESSIONAL NEGLIGENCE CLAIM? A professional negligence claim becomes time-barred six years after the breach of contract or actual damage resulting from a negligent act occurs. The “actual damage” may not be the financial shortfall, easily quan- tified once an asset is sold or valued, but could be the ‘paper’ loss where you have paid money and obtained assets worth less than expected. The claim may then be time-barred six years fol- lowing the negligent advice or work, even if you are not yet aware of the problem. These rules are fraught with difficulty when interpreted in practice and the courts tend to pin the start date for time to run to the earliest point. It is a vital issue because either you have a right to claim or you are too late: there are no half measures. If you have only just become aware of a problem, then you may have another three years in which to claim, but the assessment of when you had the sufficient level of knowl- edge can also be difficult. The court assesses what you ought to have known about the problem – which may be different from when you think you were, in fact, clearly aware that you had a right to claim for the negligent act. If you think you may have a claim, it is important to seek expert legal advice as quickly as possible. WHAT LOSS CAN BE CLAIMED? The loss that resulted from the negligent advice or service. This is not always as straightforward as it sounds. Assuming the professional has a duty of care for that particular issue, the failure to reach the required standard must have caused the loss. This causative link between failure and loss can sometimes be very com- plex in law. It is sometimes possible to bring a different claim against the professional, such as breach of contract or statutory duty, as well as or instead of professional negligence. ARE THERE ANY TIME LIMITS? Yes: professional negligence claims should usually be made within six Chris Macwilliam – Partner at Clough & Willis Solicitors talks Professional Negligence Claims Professional Negligence claims explained years from the date of the failure to meet the required standards. In limited circumstances, the time limit can be three years from the date of knowledge of the negligence. Our professional negligence experts can advise you about this in more detail. HOW DO I MAKE A CLAIM? First, exhaust the available com- plaint procedures. The professional will usually have their own procedure as will their regulatory body such as The Institute of Chartered Account- ants in England and Wales, the Legal Ombudsman and the Financial Ser- vices Ombudsman. Next, follow the professional neg- ligence pre-action protocol or con- struction and engineering disputes protocol. If the above two steps do not produce a satisfactory outcome, bring a claim in the County Court or the High Court. IS COURT ACTION NECESSARY? We firmly believe that achieving an effective settlement outside of court is in the best interests of the claimant. It relieves the stress and financial cost involved with lengthy court proceedings. We are always alive to the need to balance the potential benefit with the potential risks and advise our clients on an ongoing basis about this. An out-of-court settlement should always be the primary goal but, if this is not possible, you should aim to pursue professional negligence claims through the courts. l If you need further information about a professional negligence claim contact Chris Macwilliam for a free, no obligation interview on 0161 764 5266