Bringing the experience and expertise of a specialist city firm to rural communities - Hannah Bennett

Thompsons Solicitors Scotland recently announced the opening of an office in Dumfries, and having grown up in Dumfries and Galloway, I returned to live in Dumfries in 2015 after several years living in Aberdeen and Glasgow. As the partner heading up the new office. I’m excited and proud to bring the ethos, experience and expertise of a specialist city firm to my local community.

Thompsons has a passion for justice, and is best-known for representing victims of accidents and those suffering occupational illness. We are proud to say we only ever represent victims, not insurers or big business.

As a firm, Thompsons has always recognised and embraced the advantages of a local legal office to serve clients.

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The most obvious advantage is the locality of the office to clients and business associates. This promotes good communication and fosters good relationships. Clients and business associates choose the method of communication which best suits them.

Hannah Bennett is a Partner, ThompsonsHannah Bennett is a Partner, Thompsons
Hannah Bennett is a Partner, Thompsons

As specialists in personal injury and health and safety law, Thompsons deals with many cases involving accidents which have resulted in catastrophic injuries. In these cases, face-to-face communication with the injured person and their family is often preferable. It promotes a relationship of trust and helps us support clients as much as possible through the legal process.

We put the interests of the injured person at the heart of what we do. For many, pursuing a legal claim is something they have never had to do before and it can be nerve-racking. Having a specialist solicitor nearby can be comforting and ease the stress and worry of the claims process.

Local knowledge is another advantage and can make the difference between success and failure in a personal injury case. Good local knowledge and connections can assist in the smooth, efficient running of cases. Clients often take advantage of the firm’s relationships with other local services and partners.

We took over acting in a personal injury case recently where local knowledge of the area where an accident occurred forced an admission of liability almost immediately following several months of protracted negotiations. We were able to refer to common practices of an establishment within the local area which allowed us to prove a failure of duty of care.

Flexibility is another advantage. Understanding local needs and expectations allows us to adapt the service offered to best suit clients and business associates. Thompsons works closely with other legal firms through our On Demand offering. We offer a referral system for personal injury cases, allowing other firms to make use of our specialist service and expertise in a way that best suits them and their clients.

Each firm, client and case is different and we are happy to adapt our service accordingly to suit. This could be passing a case to Thompsons to act with very little involvement, using Thompsons on an agency basis only or something in between.

Finally having a local legal office supports the local economy but also should support the local community beyond simply offering a legal service. At Thompsons we are used to pursuing justice, campaigning for what is right and fighting for change when necessary. Being present in an area allows local issues to be identified and moves for change to be made to benefit the local community.

Hannah Bennett is a Partner, Thompsons