Accreditation

Coles Miller is proud to be recognised for our expertise by the following organisations:

The Law Society Personal Injury Accredited

Millions of people are injured in accidents each year, whether at work, on the road, at home or outdoors, and in many cases they will be entitled to compensation. In these cases, it’s vital you seek the expertise of a specialist personal injury solicitor who will be able to advise you on your claim.

Coles Miller Partners Adrian Cormack, Head of the Personal Injury Department, is Law Society Personal Injury accredited. This confirms he is highly competent and has a high level of knowledge, skills and experience in this area of law. Personal Injury accredited solicitors must provide evidence of their expertise via examples of their cases and the firm's resources when applying for this accreditation. They must also prove that they are maintaining relevant standards of expertise in this field by periodically re-accrediting.

APIL Accredited Personal Injury Specialist

APIL (the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers) provides accreditation as a mark of quality, competence and expertise for solicitors specialising in personal injury claims. APIL-accredited solicitors can provide you with legal help and advice if you have suffered a personal injury or disease which is not your fault.

APIL members can be accredited individually or by firm. Coles Miller is an APIL-accredited practice, as well having individual solicitors recognised as Senior Litigator APIL-accredited Personal Injury Specialists. To remain accredited we provide extensive evidence of our competency in handling personal injury claims and keep up to date with the latest legal developments, committing to 16 hours of APIL-accredited training each year.

APIL Accredited Personal Injury Specialists at Coles Miller include:

Adrian Cormack, Partner and Head of the Personal Injury Department

APIL Accredited Brain Injury Specialist

Coles Miller Partner Adrian Cormack, Head of the Personal Injury Department, is an APIL-accredited Brain Injury Specialist. He has achieved APIL Senior Litigator status and demonstrated further expertise in the specialist field of brain injury by safeguarding the rights of clients who are disadvantaged by brain injury. APIL-accredited lawyers are committed to acting in their clients’ best interests at all times, aiming to restore them to their former way of life, as far as possible.

Legal 500 Recommended Lawyers

The Legal 500 has been analysing the capabilities and strengths of law firms all over the world for 30 years. It ranks law firms, based on a wide range of criteria, feedback from 300,000 clients worldwide, submissions from law firms and interviews with leading private practice lawyers.

The Legal 500 said:

"Coles Miller Solicitors LLP handles a broad range of clinical negligence issues including cauda equina claims, spinal injuries, strokes, mismanaged labour, vascular problems leading to amputation, misdiagnosis and ectopic pregnancy. The firm is ‘very client focused, very on the ball, efficient and well prepared’. David Simpson heads the team and specialises in complex high-value cases. Lydia Barnett  is ‘a very shrewd negotiator’ and has ‘an excellent manner with clients’. She specialises in cerebral palsy claims, kidney failure, brain haemorrhages, bladder and bowel issues. The team is ‘excellent in the field and can be trusted to handle complex litigation with real expertise’."

Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP)

The Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners (STEP) is an international professional association for practitioners who specialise in family inheritance and succession planning. To become a STEP member you must undergo two years of study and either pass four three-hour exams, or provide two years of assessed coursework and a final dissertation. After qualifying, members must undergo regular Continuous Professional Development to stay at the forefront of this highly complex area of legislation.

Choosing a STEP solicitor will guarantee that you receive the best possible legal advice on wills and probate, and trusts and estates administration.

STEP lawyers at Coles Miller include:

Kerry Hay, Solicitor,  Wills & Probate Department

David Parfitt, Consultant, Wills & Probate

Dementia Friendly Solicitors

The Dementia Friends programme by the Alzheimer’s Society is the biggest ever initiative to change people’s perceptions of dementia. Coles Miller has undergone special training from the Alzheimer’s Society in order to understand better how dementia affects how people think, their ability to make decisions and communicate, and what we can to do help them.

Our specialist solicitors can help make the law much easier for people with dementia and their families, offering expertise in a friendly, sympathetic, patient and straightforward manner. Families who have relatives with dementia ask us to help them with powers of attorney, deputyships and Court of Protection applications.

Dementia Friendly staff at Coles Miller include:

Anthony Weber, Partner, Head of the Wills & Probate Department

Jenny Oxley, Partner, Wills & Probate

Ricky Langlois, Associate Solicitor, Wills & Probate.

Resolution Member

Resolution is an organisation of 6,500 family lawyers and other professionals in England and Wales, who believe in a constructive, non-confrontational approach to family law matters. Resolution also campaigns for improvements to the family justice system.

Resolution supports the development of family lawyers through its national and regional training programmes, through publications and good practice guides and through its accreditation scheme. Resolution also trains and accredits mediators and is the only body providing training and support for collaborative lawyers in England and Wales.

As well as being members, several of our solicitors have been awarded professional accreditations by Resolution:

Resolution Specialist

When a family breaks down and a couple chooses to separate or divorce, it is a difficult time for everyone involved, particularly if decisions have to be made about the care of children. You need expert legal advice and to be treated with sensitivity and compassion. Members of Resolution commit to a strict Code of Practice which means they will always try to reduce the emotional and financial impact of separation, putting any children’s needs first, and finding an outcome that works for you and the future of everyone involved.

Senior Associate Family Lawyer Lindsey Arnold has proven expertise in the area of family law by being a Resolution Specialist. Lindsey has undergone rigorous assessment of her knowledge, abilities and the way she works with clients to achieve this accreditation. By choosing a Resolution Specialist, you can be assured that she will handle your case in a way that limits conflict and distress to help everyone move forward, and will handle your matters effectively and efficiently, which can be more cost-effective. Lindsey can help you with many areas of family law including divorce, domestic abuse, child law and family finances, and can advise on the range of dispute resolution solutions that might help, for example mediation.

Resolution Mediator

Mediators are specially trained legal professionals who will help separating couples to identify issues that can’t be agreed on and resolve disputes. They are independent and must remain impartial and not give advice to either side, so it’s always recommended that each party also obtains separate legal advice alongside the mediation process. Resolution trained lawyer mediators can provide general legal information to both parties if appropriate.

Coles Miller Partner and Head of the Family Department Richard Perrins has been specially trained as a Resolution Mediator to help you talk face-to-face and find the best path forward at this difficult time.

Association of Leasehold Enfranchisement Practitioners (ALEP) Membership

ALEP is a not-for-profit association of organisations experienced in the residential leasehold sector, whose members have been rigorously vetted so you can be confident they have a proven track record in leasehold enfranchisement. ALEP membership acts as a badge of assurance that your solicitor is highly qualified to handle potentially complex leasehold transactions. Coles Miller has become an ALEP member by proving that they have reached an agreed standard of competence, and commit to high professional standards, integrity, quality customer service and an expert level of market knowledge.

Law Society Conveyancing Quality Scheme Accreditation

The process of buying or selling a home is one of the largest transactions many people undertake in their lifetime. It’s therefore vital that you choose a solicitor with the knowledge to provide expert residential conveyancing advice and help you fully understand your options, the costs and timescales of the process.

The Law Society's Conveyancing Quality Scheme (CQS) provides a recognised quality standard for residential conveyancing lawyers. Since inception in 2011, the CQS has created a trusted community which has helped to deter fraud and continually improve standards across the residential conveyancing sector.

Coles Miller is proud to have achieved the standards of practice and integrity required to be accredited by the Law Society's Conveyancing Quality Scheme. We have demonstrated that we follow best practice, meet the required standards of technical expertise and client service, and meet the professional standards set out by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA).