Can You Change Your Medical Negligence Solicitor in Ireland?

This information is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Every case is different and outcomes vary. Consult a qualified solicitor for advice specific to your situation.

Yes, you can change your medical negligence solicitor at any stage of your claim in Ireland. This is your legal right under the Law Society of Ireland's Transfer of Files Practice Note (Updated 2024) [1]. You sign a Form of Authority, the new firm requests your file, and outstanding fees are typically secured through a professional undertaking. However, clinical negligence transfers are materially more complex than standard personal injury switches because of expensive expert reports, High Court procedural rules, and longer claim timelines that create switching costs most guides ignore entirely.

Contents

Your right: You can terminate your solicitor's retainer at any stage and transfer to a new firm. Solicitor's Guide to Professional Conduct, 4th Edition (Published 2022) [4]

Fee protection: You have 21 days to dispute the departing firm's bill under Section 153 of the Legal Services Regulation Act 2015 [5]

Expert reports: Law Society rules require expert consent before using reports with unpaid fees. ¹

Time risk: The two-year limitation clock under the Statute of Limitations (Amendment) Act 1991 ³ does not pause during a file transfer.

Why Medical Negligence Transfers Are Different from Standard Claims

Clinical negligence claims in Ireland involve at least six complications that don't exist in a standard road traffic or workplace injury case, and every guide that treats them the same is giving dangerous advice. Medical negligence claims bypass the Injuries Resolution Board (IRB) entirely and proceed directly toward High Court litigation. The expert evidence is typically sourced from UK-based consultants to avoid conflicts within Ireland's small medical community. Outlays for a single suite of expert reports can reach tens of thousands of euro.

A detail that catches many claimants off guard: the professional undertaking that releases a standard personal injury file often won't work for clinical negligence outlays. According to the Law Society of Ireland's Practice Note on Transferring Files ¹, outlays already paid by the first solicitor should be refunded immediately rather than deferred to settlement. If those expert report fees remain unpaid, the departing firm can exercise a common law lien on the physical file until the incoming solicitor settles those specific costs.

Standard personal injury claims typically resolve within 12 to 18 months. Medical negligence cases in Ireland average closer to five to six years from instruction to conclusion, based on published academic research examining claim durations. That time investment creates real switching costs: more accumulated fees, more documents, and more expert relationships to manage during the handover.

What actually transfers with your file (and what doesn't)

One thing that surprises clients: almost everything of value moves with you. Medical records obtained from hospitals and GPs, expert reports (once fees are settled), pleadings drafted by your barrister, discovery documents exchanged with the opposing side, court orders, and counsel's written advices all form part of your client file. What stays behind: the departing solicitor's own internal attendance notes, strategy memos, and file notes created for their own purposes. These belong to the solicitor, not to you. ¹ In practice, the loss of those internal notes rarely matters because the incoming specialist will form their own strategy based on the medical evidence and court record.

When Should You Consider Changing Your Medical Negligence Solicitor?

Consider switching when specific failures threaten the integrity of your claim, not simply because of slow email replies. Generic communication concerns apply to any legal matter. The following red flags are specific to clinical negligence representation and signal deeper problems:

No expert report after 12 to 18 months. Establishing a breach of the standard of care under the Dunne v National Maternity Hospital [1989] test is impossible without an independent medical expert. Prolonged silence on expert instruction is the clearest sign a file is stalled. One recent Court of Appeal decision described an eight-year delay in obtaining expert evidence as "an alarming catalogue of failure" before dismissing the claim entirely.

Your file is handled entirely by paralegals. Clinical negligence requires senior solicitor oversight for causation analysis, discovery strategy, and proving medical negligence through expert coordination. A file that has never received a strategy consultation with a principal solicitor is a file at risk.

Pressure to accept early settlement. The State Claims Agency and medical defence organisations sometimes make early offers before the full extent of injury is known. A solicitor pushing you toward acceptance without scheduling actuarial assessment of future care needs, loss of earnings, and medical negligence compensation modelling is cutting corners.

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When Switching Is Not the Right Move

Changing your medical negligence solicitor is not always the correct decision. Three situations exist where switching mid-claim can do more harm than staying. Here is when you should hold:

Active settlement negotiations. Your solicitor has engaged the State Claims Agency or the medical defence organisation in structured settlement talks, a mediation date is set, or a formal offer is on the table. Switching solicitor at this stage resets the negotiation dynamic. The incoming firm has no relationship with opposing counsel, no feel for the negotiation temperature, and must spend weeks absorbing the file before re-engaging. That delay can cost you a settlement window that won't reopen easily.

Strong evidence, poor communication. Your solicitor has obtained supportive expert reports, proceedings have been issued, and the case is progressing through the court list. Your frustration is about unanswered emails and missed callbacks, not about the substance of the legal work. Poor communication is a real problem, but it's a problem you can fix without throwing away a well-built case. Write a formal letter to the principal solicitor setting out your expectations. If the firm still fails to respond, an LSRA complaint about inadequate service is a faster, cheaper remedy than a full file transfer.

Imminent court hearing. Your case has a trial date within the next two to three months. Transferring at this stage forces the new solicitor to absorb years of case history, re-read every expert report, re-brief counsel, and prepare for cross-examination, all under extreme time pressure. Most specialist firms will decline this transfer because the risk of inadequate preparation outweighs the benefit. The exception is where your current solicitor is so fundamentally failing that staying will result in dismissal for want of prosecution.

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How the Transfer Process Works Under Irish Law

The transfer follows four steps governed by the Law Society's Guide to Good Professional Conduct (4th Edition) ⁴ and the Legal Services Regulation Act 2015:

Step-by-step: transferring a medical negligence file in Ireland

Step	Action	Governing authority	Typical timeframe
1. Terminate retainer	Sign a Form of Authority instructing the new firm to act. New firm writes to old firm.	Law Society Guide to Professional Conduct	Immediate
2. Bill of Costs	Departing firm must issue an itemised Section 152 Bill of Costs for all work completed.	LSRA 2015, s.152 2	"As soon as practicable"
3. Dispute window	Review the bill. You have exactly 21 days to dispute excessive charges in writing.	LSRA 2015, s.153 5	21 days from receipt
4. File release + onboarding	New firm provides undertaking for professional fees. Outlays settled separately. New firm issues Section 150 Notice of Costs with cooling-off period.	Law Society Practice Note 1 + LSRA 2015, s.150	2 to 4 weeks total

The timing matters more than most guides suggest: in a complex clinical negligence case, the entire transfer process typically takes two to four weeks when there is no fee dispute. Disputed outlays or unpaid expert fees can extend this to six weeks or longer. The Section 150 Notice includes a cooling-off period of up to 10 working days, but the LSRA 2015 provides a critical exception: your new solicitor can begin work immediately, without waiting for the cooling-off period to expire, if delay would prejudice your rights in a way that could not later be remedied, such as an imminent limitation deadline or upcoming court hearing.

Which Transfer Scenario Applies to Your Claim?

The transfer process above applies to every case, but your specific stage of litigation determines the complexity, cost, and risk of switching. Three distinct scenarios cover the vast majority of medical negligence transfers in Ireland:

Transfer scenarios by litigation stage in a medical negligence claim

Your stage	What happens when you switch	Typical transfer timeline	Key risk
Pre-proceedings (no summons issued)	Simplest transfer. New firm takes the file, reviews medical records, instructs experts. No court filings required yet.	2 to 3 weeks for file transfer. 4 to 8 weeks for new expert reports if needed.	Limitation deadline. Check your date of knowledge. If fewer than 6 months remain, the new firm may need to issue protective proceedings before the expert report is ready.
Post-proceedings, pre-discovery (summons issued, no discovery exchanged yet)	New firm files Notice of Change of Solicitor under the Rules of the Superior Courts and serves it on all parties. Case continues. Existing pleadings and expert reports carry over.	2 to 4 weeks. Court deadlines for delivery of defence or discovery do not pause.	Pending court deadlines. The incoming firm must identify and meet all outstanding procedural obligations immediately. Missed deadlines can result in the case being struck out.
Post-discovery, approaching trial (evidence exchanged, trial date set or pending)	Highest complexity. New solicitor must absorb entire case history, re-read all expert evidence, and prepare for trial. Retaining the same barrister is critical for continuity.	4 to 8 weeks minimum. The new firm may apply to the court for an adjournment if preparation time is insufficient.	Judicial patience. Courts are reluctant to grant adjournments caused by a plaintiff's change of solicitor. The new firm's readiness will be scrutinised. Switch only if staying is worse than the disruption.

What the timeline estimates don't account for: the emotional weight of these transitions. Switching solicitor in a medical negligence case means re-telling your medical history to a new team. Specialist firms understand this and structure their intake process to minimise repetition, but be prepared for at least one detailed meeting covering your full clinical chronology.

What Happens to Your Expert Medical Reports?

Your expert medical reports form part of your client file and belong to you once the fees for obtaining them have been paid. The Law Society of Ireland's Practice Note on Transferring Files ¹ draws a specific distinction: reports for which fees have not been paid require the expert's written consent before the incoming solicitor can use them. The incoming firm must either settle unpaid expert invoices directly or obtain that consent.

The difference between assessment and acceptance in a transfer often comes down to this single issue. Where the departing firm has commissioned a UK-based consultant's report costing several thousand euro but hasn't yet paid the invoice, the expert effectively holds a veto. The new solicitor cannot simply collect the report and proceed.

Can your new solicitor get different expert evidence?

Switching solicitor to obtain a more favourable medical opinion is not straightforward. Under Order 39, Rule 46 of the Rules of the Superior Courts (S.I. 391 of 1998) [7], all expert reports relied upon in High Court proceedings must be disclosed to the opposing side. Irish courts take a firm position against "expert shopping." The Supreme Court in Payne v Shovlin broadened disclosure obligations to include preliminary reports not ultimately relied upon at trial. Your new solicitor must review the original expert's findings and determine whether the report was based on incomplete records or a flawed analysis, not simply replace it with a more sympathetic opinion.

How Much Does It Cost to Change Your Medical Negligence Solicitor?

You will not face a single lump-sum bill for switching. The cost depends on two separate categories of charges from your departing firm and the onboarding requirements of the incoming firm:

Professional fees (solicitor's own work) are typically deferred via undertaking. The incoming solicitor promises in writing to pay the departing firm's professional fees from any eventual settlement proceeds. No upfront payment is usually required for this category.

Outlays and disbursements (third-party costs) are treated differently. The Law Society recommends that outlays already paid by the departing firm, such as court filing fees, engineering reports, and medical expert fees, should be refunded immediately by the incoming firm. ¹ This is the cost that can catch claimants off guard in clinical negligence transfers, where expert outlays can be substantial.

The Office of the Legal Costs Adjudicator (OLCA), which replaced the Taxing Master, handles disputed fees. According to the OLCA Annual Report 2023 (Published September 2024) [8], 159 medical negligence cost applications were filed that year, accounting for approximately one-third of all applications by value and making medical negligence the highest-value category of all cost disputes before the adjudicator. In cases that went to full determination, the OLCA reduced medical negligence bills by an average of over €205,000 per case. If the adjudicator reduces your departing solicitor's bill by 15% or more, the solicitor bears the cost of the adjudication.

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What If Your Solicitor Won't Release Your File?

A solicitor in Ireland has a common law right to exercise a lien on your file until outstanding fees are paid. ¹ This right is real, but it is not absolute. Three mechanisms can break the deadlock:

Professional undertaking. The incoming solicitor provides a binding written promise to secure and pay the departing firm's costs from settlement proceeds. Most departing firms accept this for professional fees, though they may refuse for unpaid outlays.

GDPR data portability. Under Article 20 of the General Data Protection Regulation, you have the right to receive personal data you provided to the departing firm in a machine-readable format. The Law Society of Ireland's Practice Note on Transferring Files acknowledges that this portability right overrides the solicitor's lien for personal data. ¹ However, it applies only to data you provided, not to the solicitor's own work product, such as their internal file notes and strategy memos.

LSRA complaint. The Legal Services Regulatory Authority (Updated 2025) [9] handles complaints about inadequate legal services, excessive costs, and misconduct. According to Citizens Information (Updated 2025) [6], the LSRA is an independent body that replaced the previous complaints systems run by the Law Society and Bar Council. Filing a complaint is free. If upheld, the LSRA can direct the solicitor to take corrective action and award compensation of up to €3,000.

Start the medical records track independently. While the lien dispute plays out, you don't have to sit idle. Under the Data Protection Act 2018, you can request your medical records directly from the treating hospital, GP, or consultant, without going through your solicitor at all. Your new firm can begin reviewing your treatment history and assessing viability before the physical file transfer is complete. This parallel track can recover weeks that would otherwise be lost to the lien standoff.

Can Switching Solicitor Delay or Damage Your Claim?

The two-year limitation period under Section 2 of the Statute of Limitations (Amendment) Act 1991 ³ does not pause while your file transfers between firms. In medical negligence, this clock runs from your "date of knowledge," the date you first became aware (or should reasonably have become aware) that you suffered a significant injury caused by negligent treatment.

The practical risk: a two-to-four-week transfer gap means nothing if you still have 18 months on your limitation clock. It becomes dangerous if your deadline is within three to six months. Many specialist medical negligence firms will decline a transfer when the limitation period is about to expire, because issuing High Court proceedings without a supporting expert report breaches professional conduct rules.

Between assessment and settlement, the sticking point is usually timing. Act early. The moment you recognise that your current representation is failing, begin your search for a specialist. Waiting to "see how it goes" burns time you cannot recover.

Protective proceedings when time is running out

One aspect the official guidance doesn't cover: a new solicitor can issue a "protective" Personal Injuries Summons to stop the limitation clock before the full file transfer is complete. This preserves your right to proceed while the incoming firm obtains records and expert evidence. Issuing proceedings without a supporting expert report is normally a breach of professional conduct. However, Irish courts recognise a narrow exception when the alternative is allowing a meritorious claim to become statute-barred. The new solicitor must then move quickly to obtain expert evidence and comply with disclosure obligations.

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When Delay Becomes Professional Negligence

A solicitor who fails to progress your clinical negligence claim may themselves be liable for professional negligence. The Court of Appeal has repeatedly held that "the act of a solicitor is the act of the client" for procedural purposes. Your claim can be dismissed due to your solicitor's delay, and the court will not excuse you simply because you hired the wrong firm.

However, you retain a separate right to sue the negligent solicitor for the loss of your underlying medical negligence claim. Specialist professional negligence solicitors handle these "solicitor negligence" claims. One case recently described in the Court of Appeal involved a plaintiff on her third set of solicitors after eight years with no expert report obtained. The court dismissed the medical negligence claim but noted the plaintiff's remedy lay against the solicitors who failed her.

What to Look For in a Medical Negligence Specialist

When evaluating a replacement solicitor, apply criteria specific to clinical negligence rather than generic checklists. Confirm the following before instructing a new firm:

Medical negligence specialist criteria

Criterion	Why it matters for your transfer
Registered with the Law Society of Ireland	Basic regulatory compliance. Verify at lawsociety.ie [10]
Dedicated medical negligence team (not general PI)	Specialist firms know the expert re-briefing process and High Court procedures
Experience with HSE and State Claims Agency cases	SCA cases have distinct discovery and case management requirements
Willingness to settle existing outlays to release your file	If the new firm won't capitalise your expert report fees, the lien blocks your transfer
Clear Section 150 Notice before work begins	Mandatory under LSRA 2015. Includes a cooling-off period of up to 10 working days
Named senior solicitor assigned to your file	Clinical negligence requires principal-level oversight from instruction through settlement

What to bring to your first consultation with a new firm

A transfer consultation is different from a fresh case intake. Bring the following to give the incoming solicitor the clearest possible picture of where your claim stands:

Transfer-specific consultation checklist

Document	Why the new solicitor needs it
Your existing retainer letter and any Section 150 Notice	Shows the fee arrangement and cost disclosures from your current firm
Copies of any expert reports you hold	Allows immediate assessment of case viability without waiting for file release
Court documents (if proceedings have been issued)	Identifies pending deadlines, discovery obligations, and the court list position
Your limitation timeline (date of injury or date of knowledge)	The first thing a specialist checks. Determines urgency of the entire transfer
Chronology of your medical treatment	Helps the new solicitor understand the clinical narrative before obtaining records
Correspondence showing delays or concerns	Documents the basis for switching and may support an LSRA complaint if needed

General PI Solicitor vs Medical Negligence Specialist: Why It Matters

The reason most transfers happen in the first place is that a general personal injury firm accepted a clinical negligence file it wasn't equipped to handle. The table below highlights the operational differences that affect your claim's outcome:

General PI solicitor vs medical negligence specialist comparison

Factor	General PI solicitor	Medical negligence specialist
Expert evidence	Often delayed or sourced locally	UK-based experts instructed early to avoid conflicts of interest
Typical claim forum	IRB assessment, District or Circuit Court	High Court (med neg cases bypass the IRB entirely)
Causation analysis	Straightforward in most RTA/workplace cases	Requires specialist medical and legal analysis of breach and causation together
Average claim duration	12 to 18 months	5 to 6 years (published research on Irish clinical claims)
State Claims Agency experience	Limited or none	Regular engagement with SCA discovery and settlement protocols
Outlay risk on transfer	Low (minimal third-party costs)	High (expert fees can reach tens of thousands of euro)

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What If Your Case Is More Complex Than a Standard Transfer?

The process above covers the typical transfer scenario. Some situations involve additional layers of complexity that require careful handling. Below, we address the most common complications specific to medical negligence file transfers in Ireland.

Your barrister is already briefed

The Law Society notes that counsel already briefed will usually agree to await payment until the conclusion of the case, provided the new solicitor retains them. ¹ If you change barristers as well, the departing counsel's fees must be paid immediately. Retaining the same barrister through a solicitor transfer avoids this additional cost and preserves continuity on your case strategy.

Proceedings have already been issued

Your new solicitor must file a formal Notice of Change of Solicitor under the Rules of the Superior Courts with the Central Office of the High Court and serve it on all other parties. This is a procedural step, not a substantive delay. However, any pending court dates, discovery deadlines, or case management directions still apply. The incoming firm must absorb the procedural history immediately.

The departing firm may have made errors

If your previous solicitor's conduct has already damaged your claim, such as missing a limitation deadline, failing to preserve evidence, or issuing proceedings without expert support, you may have a separate professional negligence claim against them. Your new solicitor should assess this at intake and advise you on both the original claim and any potential claim against the previous firm.

Common Questions About Changing Medical Negligence Solicitor in Ireland

Do I have the right to change my medical negligence solicitor?

Yes. You can terminate your solicitor's retainer at any stage of a medical negligence claim in Ireland. The eligibility to switch is unconditional.

The Law Society's Guide to Good Professional Conduct (4th Edition) and the Transfer of Files Practice Note set out the procedure. Your departing firm must cooperate with the transfer once you sign the Form of Authority and outstanding fees are addressed. The right applies whether your case is at the initial investigation stage or deep into High Court proceedings.

Why it matters: Fear of being "locked in" is the most common reason claimants delay a transfer that would improve their case.

Next step: Contact a specialist medical negligence solicitor for a free case assessment.

Will I have to pay my old solicitor upfront?

Professional fees are typically deferred via a professional undertaking from your new solicitor, meaning no upfront payment for the departing firm's own work.

The distinction lies in outlays. Expert report fees, court filing costs, and other third-party expenses may require immediate settlement before the file is released. The Law Society differentiates these two categories explicitly. If you dispute the bill, you have 21 days under Section 153 of the LSRA 2015 to challenge it in writing, and the Office of the Legal Costs Adjudicator can adjudicate.

Why it matters: Understanding the fee/outlay split prevents surprise demands during transfer.

Next step: Ask your proposed new solicitor how they handle outlay capitalisation before instructing them.

Will I lose my medical expert reports if I switch?

No, provided the fees for those reports are settled. Expert reports are part of your client file and belong to you.

The complication arises when report fees remain unpaid. The Law Society states that the expert's consent is needed before using unpaid reports. Your new solicitor can resolve this by paying the outstanding invoice directly, securing the expert's written permission, or commissioning a new assessment if the original report is unsatisfactory. The physical report cannot be "lost," but access can be delayed until the financial obligations are cleared.

Why it matters: Expert evidence is the foundation of every medical negligence claim. Losing access to it, even temporarily, stalls your entire case.

Next step: Gather records of all expert instructions and invoices before initiating the switch.

How long does a medical negligence solicitor transfer take?

Two to four weeks in a straightforward transfer with no fee dispute.

Complex transfers involving disputed outlays, unpaid expert fees, or lien disputes can take six weeks or longer. The limitation clock continues running throughout. If your date of knowledge puts you within six months of the limitation deadline, most specialist firms will want to assess viability before accepting the transfer.

Why it matters: Timing determines whether a specialist firm will take your case.

Next step: Check your limitation deadline and begin your search well before it becomes urgent.

Can I complain to the LSRA instead of switching?

You can complain and switch. The two are not mutually exclusive.

The LSRA handles three complaint types: inadequate legal services, excessive costs, and misconduct. Filing is free. According to the Legal Services Regulatory Authority's published guidance ⁹, there is generally a three-year time limit on service and cost complaints. An LSRA complaint can also serve as a practical tool to force file release if the departing firm is non-responsive. The complaint process takes time. Switching to a specialist firm addresses your immediate case needs while the complaint runs separately.

Why it matters: Some claimants assume they must choose between complaining and moving forward. You don't.

Next step: Visit lsra.ie for complaint forms and information.

Is the process different in Ireland than in the UK?

Yes, significantly. Irish medical negligence claims follow different procedural rules, limitation periods, and regulatory frameworks than England, Scotland, or Wales.

In Ireland, the limitation period is two years from the date of knowledge (not three years as in England and Wales). Expert disclosure is governed by Order 39, Rule 46 of the Rules of the Superior Courts, not Part 35 of the English Civil Procedure Rules. The LSRA regulates solicitor conduct, not the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). UK-based guides on changing clinical negligence solicitor do not apply to Irish claims.

Why it matters: Applying UK rules to an Irish claim can result in missed deadlines and procedural errors.

Next step: Ensure any guide you follow is based on Irish law and Irish court rules.

Can I keep the same barrister if I change solicitor?

Yes. Barristers are engaged by the solicitor, but you can request that the incoming firm retain the same counsel.

The Law Society notes that counsel already briefed will usually agree to await payment from the new firm until the case concludes. This preserves continuity and avoids the cost of re-briefing a new barrister. If you do change counsel, the departing barrister's fees must be discharged immediately.

Why it matters: Barrister continuity preserves strategic consistency in complex clinical cases.

Next step: Discuss barrister retention with your proposed new solicitor during the initial consultation.

Does a "no win no fee" agreement prevent me from switching?

No. A conditional fee arrangement does not lock you into a specific solicitor permanently.

When you terminate the retainer, the conditional nature of the agreement ends. The departing solicitor becomes entitled to charge for work completed to date. Those charges are typically deferred via undertaking. Your new solicitor will issue their own cost arrangements and Section 150 Notice. The legal costs structure for the rest of your claim is governed by the new retainer, not the old one.

Why it matters: The belief that "no win no fee" means "no way out" keeps people trapped with underperforming solicitors.

Next step: Review your existing retainer letter to understand the termination terms before contacting a new firm.

Related Questions

What is the difference between the IRB and the High Court for medical negligence?

Medical negligence claims in Ireland are exempt from the mandatory Injuries Resolution Board (IRB) process that applies to standard personal injury claims such as road traffic accidents and workplace injuries. Clinical negligence cases proceed directly to High Court litigation, which is why specialist representation matters from the outset. See our medical negligence claim timeline for the full process.

How do I access my medical records during a solicitor transfer?

Under data protection legislation, you can request your medical records directly from the hospital or treating clinician, independently of your solicitor. Your new solicitor can also submit a fresh records request with your written authority. This is a practical safeguard during any transfer delay. See our guide to accessing medical records in Ireland.

References

1. Law Society of Ireland, Practice Note: Transferring Files Between Solicitors (Updated 2024). Accessed March 2026.
2. Legal Services Regulation Act 2015, Section 152: Legal Practitioner to Provide Bill of Costs. Irish Statute Book. Accessed March 2026.
3. Statute of Limitations (Amendment) Act 1991, Section 2: Date of Knowledge. Irish Statute Book. Accessed March 2026.
4. Solicitor's Guide to Professional Conduct, 4th Edition (2022). Law Society of Ireland. Accessed March 2026.
5. Legal Services Regulation Act 2015, Section 153: Legal Practitioner to Attempt to Resolve Dispute. Irish Statute Book. Accessed March 2026.
6. Citizens Information: Legal Services Regulatory Authority (Updated 2025). Accessed March 2026.
7. S.I. No. 391/1998, Rules of the Superior Courts (No. 6): Disclosure of Reports and Statements. Irish Statute Book. Accessed March 2026.
8. Office of the Legal Costs Adjudicators, Annual Report 2023 (Published September 2024). Department of Justice, gov.ie. Accessed March 2026.
9. Legal Services Regulatory Authority: Make a Complaint (Updated 2025). Accessed March 2026.
10. Law Society of Ireland. Accessed March 2026.
11. Irish Legal News: Court of Appeal Dismissal of Medical Negligence Claim (January 2024). Accessed March 2026.
12. Hayes Solicitors LLP: O'Flynn v HSE [2024] IECA 83 Case Note (2024). Accessed March 2026.

Related internal guides: Medical negligence claims • Eligibility hub • Proving medical negligence • Legal costs guide • Date of knowledge • Expert medical reports

This information is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Every case is different and outcomes vary. Consult a qualified solicitor for advice specific to your situation. In contentious business and in accordance with section 149 of the Legal Services Regulation Act 2015, a legal practitioner shall not charge any amount in respect of legal costs expressed as a percentage or proportion of any damages (or other moneys) that may become payable to his or her client.