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Location Hub — New South Wales
You relied on someone who was supposed to know what they were doing. A conveyancer, a financial adviser, a doctor, an accountant. Whatever they promised — or whatever you reasonably expected — didn’t happen, and now you’re carrying the cost of it.
In the inner-city suburbs stretching from Redfern to Alexandria, Surry Hills to Green Square, people are making some of the most significant financial and personal decisions of their lives — buying off-the-plan apartments, restructuring their finances, seeking specialist medical care. When the professionals involved in those decisions get it wrong, the consequences can be serious.
Fair Go Australia works exclusively on professional negligence claims. We can assist South Sydney residents and businesses without you needing to attend any office — our process works entirely by phone and email, and our team is available Australia-wide.
New South Wales
Professional negligence is not about an outcome you’re unhappy with. Professionals are entitled to make judgment calls, and not every bad result gives rise to a legal claim. What the law looks at is whether the professional in question met the standard expected of a competent person in their field — and whether falling short of that standard caused you a loss that can be measured.
In New South Wales, that framework is largely governed by the Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW). The High Court’s decision in Rogers v Whitaker (1992) 175 CLR 479 remains the foundational authority on the standard of care owed by professionals — it established that professionals are judged against the standard of a reasonably competent practitioner in the same field, not simply what the profession itself considers acceptable.
Before a professional negligence claim can succeed in NSW, four things generally need to be established: the professional owed you a duty of care; they breached that duty by falling below the required standard; the breach caused your loss (causation); and you suffered actual, measurable damage as a result. If you can point to all four, you may have a viable claim.
What we handle
South Sydney’s mix of high-density residential development, a dense professional services sector, and proximity to major hospitals and financial institutions creates a particular set of professional relationships — and a particular set of risks when those relationships go wrong.
The volume of off-the-plan apartment activity in Zetland, Waterloo, and Green Square has exposed a lot of buyers to conveyancing risk. Missed defects in contracts, undisclosed strata levies, title issues, and failures to advise on sunset clauses have caused real financial harm to buyers across the area. A link to solicitor negligence claims explains what these claims involve and how they are assessed.
Young professionals, first-home buyers, and people approaching retirement in South Sydney have placed significant trust in financial advisers for superannuation structuring, investment advice, and mortgage product recommendations. When that advice is unsuitable, poorly researched, or driven by commission rather than the client's interests, it can cost years of savings. See our financial adviser negligence page for more.
The inner-city has a large freelance, creative, and small business population — many of whom rely heavily on accountants for tax compliance, GST structuring, and business advice. An accountant who misfiles returns, applies the wrong structure, or fails to advise on ATO obligations can leave a client facing penalties, assessments, and interest charges that were entirely avoidable.
South Sydney sits within proximity to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney Children's Hospital, and a concentration of specialist medical practitioners. Misdiagnosis, delayed diagnosis, post-surgical complications, and failures in follow-up care are among the most serious — and most life-altering — forms of professional negligence. These claims are factually complex and require specialist handling.
The Green Square urban renewal precinct and surrounding new-build activity has drawn heavily on engineers, certifiers, and building consultants. When design defects are certified through, structural problems go undetected, or inspection failures leave buyers with defective buildings, the financial consequences can be significant. These claims often involve large sums and require careful expert evidence.
Legal framework
The Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW) sets out the framework that NSW courts apply when assessing professional negligence claims. It governs how the standard of care is assessed, how causation is approached, and how damages are calculated — including provisions around proportionate liability under Part 4 of the Act, which can affect how responsibility is divided when more than one party contributed to your loss.
Under the Act, a professional’s conduct is assessed against what a competent professional in the same field would reasonably have done in the same circumstances. The fact that other professionals might have done the same thing is not necessarily a defence — as Rogers v Whitaker made clear, it is ultimately for the court to determine whether the standard was met, not the profession itself.
Where a solicitor or barrister is involved, the Legal Profession Uniform Law (NSW) also applies, setting out conduct standards that may be relevant to a negligence claim. Professional regulatory bodies — including the Law Society of NSW and the Legal Services Commissioner NSW — play a role in professional discipline, though regulatory complaints and civil claims are separate processes and one does not depend on the other.
Time limits
This is one of the first questions we get asked, and it matters more than people realise. Under the Limitation Act 1969 (NSW), professional negligence claims must generally be commenced within three years of the date you became aware — or should reasonably have become aware — of the negligence.
That discovery date is not always obvious. In some cases, the harm only becomes apparent years after the professional’s error — a conveyancing defect discovered at resale, a misdiagnosis that went undetected for some time, or financial losses that took years to crystallise. When you discovered (or should have discovered) the problem is a factual question that can significantly affect whether your claim is still open.
There is an absolute backstop under NSW law — generally twelve years from the date of the negligent act. But within that outer limit, the three-year discovery period is what most claimants need to be mindful of. If you are unsure, don’t assume time has run out — and don’t assume you have plenty of time either.
Act before time runs out.
In NSW, professional negligence claims must generally be commenced within 3 years of the date you became aware — or reasonably should have become aware — of the negligence. Missing this deadline can permanently extinguish your right to claim, regardless of how strong your case might otherwise be.
If you are unsure whether your limitation period is still open, contact our team for a free assessment as soon as possible. We will tell you honestly where you stand.
Fair Go Australia
We work exclusively on professional negligence claims. That focus matters — it means the team handling your case has done this before, across the full range of professional types, and understands what it takes to establish a claim and see it through.
You do not need to attend any office. The vast majority of our work is handled remotely — by phone, email, and secure document exchange — without any loss of quality or communication. South Sydney clients can access the same service as anyone else, regardless of whether a specialist professional negligence firm exists on their street.
Our model is no win, no fee. If your claim does not succeed, you do not pay us. We carry the financial risk so that cost is not a reason to walk away from a legitimate claim. A free case evaluation is the starting point — it is confidential, it carries no obligation, and it costs you nothing.
Claims involving professionals licensed or based in other states are also within scope — our coverage is Australia-wide, which means if the professional at the centre of your claim operates across state lines, that does not affect your ability to seek help through us.
Get started
A case evaluation costs you nothing and takes less than a business day to respond to. We’ll look at what happened, give you an honest assessment of whether a claim is worth pursuing, and explain what the process would involve — with no pressure and no obligation.
If there is a claim worth pursuing, we’ll tell you. If there isn’t, we’ll tell you that too.
We respond to all enquiries within 1 business day.
Frequently asked questions
Our goal is to help people in the best way possible. this is a basic principle in every case and cause for success. contact us today for a free consultation.
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