Litigation Friends

It’s all about protecting your little Angel

In legal language anyone under the age of 18 is classed as a minor. This is interesting point as there are many things you can do such as learning to drive a car at 17, but still not be classed as an adult in the eyes of the law!

What is a Litigation Friend?

A litigation friend is a responsible adult who acts in a legal capacity on behalf of someone under the age of 18. This is normally a parent, carer or guardian but could just as easily be another family member or a good family friend.

It is important to think about the person you choose to act as a litigation friend for your child. They must be prepared to act in the best interests of your child, which is why it is normally one or other of the child’s parents.

Why Sometimes it’s Not an Option

There are some circumstances in which you may not be able to act as a litigation friend for your child. These circumstances are likely to be in the event of a road traffic accident happening whilst you are driving with your child in the car, for which you may be partly at fault.

If this were to happen and your child was injured they may have to seek compensation from your car insurance company and therefore there would be a conflict of interest. In these circumstances however, there would not be a problem with the other parent acting as the litigation friend.

Other People Who Require Litigation Friends

We have explained that children under 18 are required to have a litigation friend to act for them, but there are other people who are required to also appoint a litigation friend to act on their behalf.

The law calls these people ‘Protected Parties’ and they are defined as people who are unable to understand the legal process without another person to help them to do this. If you are unsure if this may apply to someone who has had an accident we can offer you advice on this matter.

How our Litigation Friend Manchester Advisor Can Help

The process of making a claim when you need to act as a litigation friend is really no different. You may need to complete a small amount of extra paperwork and the process we need to follow with the court is slightly different, but we have many years’ experience within this area and we can guide you through the process in a seamless way.

We know how upsetting it is to have an injured child but we can explain the litigation friend process and also the process of making a claim on behalf of your child in an easy to understand way without using legal jargon.

Contact Us Today  To Discuss Being A Litigation Friend

Please call us today to discuss litigation friend process and help with your child’s claim for compensation today. If you prefer to meet with us we can arrange for you to have an appointment with our Litigation Friend Manchester advisor  and we guarantee this will not cost you a thing.