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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NSW · South Coast · Shoalhaven
When a professional lets you down — a solicitor, a doctor, a financial adviser, an accountant — the damage can follow you for years. Lost rights, lost savings, worsened health, missed opportunities. Whatever form the harm took, you didn’t deserve it, and you shouldn’t have to absorb the consequences alone.
At Fair Go Australia, we help residents of Nowra and the broader Shoalhaven region understand their legal rights and connect with specialist professional negligence lawyers who handle NSW claims every day. You don’t need to travel to Sydney. You don’t need to know the law. You just need to tell us what happened.
Regional NSW · Shoalhaven LGA
The Shoalhaven is one of the fastest-growing regional areas in NSW — a community of retirees, families, small business owners, agricultural operators, and tradespersons who engage professionals regularly and rely on that advice to make sound decisions.
Professional negligence doesn’t only happen in the city. A Nowra resident who received wrong tax advice from their accountant has the same right to pursue a claim as someone in Martin Place. A family in Berry who was given a negligent medical referral has the same access to justice as a patient in a Sydney private hospital. Regional location does not diminish legal entitlement.
Where professional advice causes measurable harm — financial loss, physical injury, forfeited legal rights, or missed commercial opportunities — the law provides a pathway to compensation.
What We Handle
NSW Law · Civil Liability Act 2002
Professional negligence claims in NSW are primarily governed by the Civil Liability Act 2002 (NSW). To establish a valid claim, four elements generally need to be satisfied.
First, the professional must have owed you a duty of care. In most professional relationships — between a lawyer and client, doctor and patient, financial adviser and investor — that duty is established by the nature of the engagement itself. The High Court confirmed this principle in Rogers v Whitaker (1992) 175 CLR 479, where the Court held that a professional’s duty extends to the specific circumstances of the individual client, not just a generalised standard of the profession.
Second, there must have been a breach of that duty — meaning the professional failed to meet the standard a reasonable, competent professional in the same field would have met in the same circumstances.
Third, that breach must have caused your loss. If the harm would have occurred regardless of the professional’s conduct, causation may not be established.
Fourth, you must have suffered measurable loss — financial, physical, or otherwise — as a direct result.
Where a professional provided services in trade or commerce, the Australian Consumer Law may also apply, providing additional avenues for claims. The Law Society of NSW and the Legal Services Commissioner are the relevant regulatory bodies where solicitor conduct is in question.
Time Limits · NSW Law
In NSW, professional negligence claims must generally be commenced within 3 years from the date of discovery of the negligence under the Limitation Act 1969 (NSW). Discovery means the date you knew — or reasonably ought to have known — that the professional’s conduct caused you harm.
This is not always the date the event occurred. If a solicitor’s error was concealed within a settlement document you weren’t shown, or a misdiagnosis wasn’t identified until a second opinion years later, the clock may start from that point of discovery rather than the original incident.
That said, there is an overarching long-stop limit, and delay — even within the limitation window — can complicate matters significantly. Evidence becomes harder to obtain, memories fade, and professionals and their insurers will look for any procedural argument they can use.
Act before time runs out
In NSW, professional negligence claims must generally be commenced within 3 years of the date you became aware (or should reasonably have become aware) of the negligence under the Limitation Act 1969 (NSW). Missing this deadline can permanently extinguish your right to claim. If you are unsure whether your limitation period is still open, contact our team for a free assessment as soon as possible.
Australia-Wide Coverage · No Travel Required
Fair Go Australia operates Australia-wide. If you’re in Nowra, Bomaderry, Berry, Ulladulla, Kiama, Huskisson, or anywhere across the Shoalhaven, you can access specialist professional negligence support without leaving home.
The process is straightforward. You contact us for a free case evaluation — we review the professional relationship, what went wrong, the causation between the conduct and your loss, and the current status of your limitation period. If your claim has merit, we connect you with a specialist NSW professional negligence lawyer, not a general practice solicitor. These are lawyers who handle professional negligence exclusively and know how insurers, professional bodies, and courts respond to these claims.
NSW professional negligence proceedings are typically conducted in the Supreme Court of NSW or, depending on the quantum of loss, the District Court sitting at Wollongong. Your legal team handles all of that on your behalf — you won’t be required to attend Sydney for the preparation phase.
Where eligible, representation is on a no-win, no-fee basis — meaning you pay nothing unless your claim succeeds.
Professional negligence claims in NSW must generally be commenced within 3 years of discovery under the Limitation Act 1969 (NSW). If you’re unsure whether your window is still open, a free assessment takes minutes and costs you nothing.
No Obligation · Fully Confidential
Your free case evaluation is a genuine assessment — not a sales call. We’ll look at the nature of the professional relationship, the conduct you’re concerned about, whether there’s a viable causation argument, the likely heads of loss, and where your limitation period currently stands.
There’s no obligation to proceed. Everything you share is fully confidential. We respond within one business day.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Fair Go Australia handles all client communication remotely, and your legal team manages court proceedings on your behalf. While NSW professional negligence matters are typically heard in the Supreme Court of NSW or the District Court at Wollongong, you won’t be required to attend Sydney for the assessment or preparation stages. Contact us for a free evaluation to understand what your case involves.
Where your claim is eligible, we work on a no-win, no-fee basis — meaning you pay no legal fees unless your claim succeeds. Your free case evaluation carries no cost or obligation. We’ll be upfront about the fee structure before any agreement is signed.
Not every poor outcome is negligence — professionals are entitled to make judgment calls. But if a competent professional in the same position would have acted differently, and that different course of action would have prevented your loss, you may have a claim. The best way to know is to have a specialist assess your situation using our Claim Eligibility Checker.
The claim is generally against the professional’s professional indemnity insurance, which is often required to remain in place for run-off periods after a practice closes. Retirement or business closure does not automatically extinguish your right to claim. Contact our team to assess your specific situation.
Fair Go Australia
Professional negligence is all we do. If you’ve been harmed by the advice or conduct of a professional in Nowra or anywhere across the Shoalhaven, our team is here to give you a straight assessment of your options — at no cost and with no obligation.
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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