Business Details
47 Years
experience
Emergency
services
Award-Winning Legal Experts in the North East
Established in 1979, Ben Hoare Bell LLP has built a reputation as a leading law firm in the North East of England. With 11 partners and approximately 60 staff across three offices in Newcastle, Gateshead, and Sunderland, we specialise in providing accessible legal services under Legal Aid while maintaining a commitment to high-quality representation. Our team includes specialists accredited by the Law Society and Resolution, covering areas such as family law, medical negligence, personal injury, and abuse claims. Lexcel-accredited since its inception, we prioritise transparency in funding options, offering fixed fees, legal aid, and no-win-no-fee agreements.Our decades of experience in niche practice areas, combined with a client-centric approach, ensure tailored solutions for both publicly funded and private clients. We maintain strong community ties, supporting local charities and initiatives, while continuously investing in staff development to uphold our expertise. Our track record of successful compensation claims, including landmark cases like Medomsley Detention Centre abuse, underscores our dedication to justice and client advocacy.
Services
Family Law
Medical Negligence
Personal Injury
Court of Protection
Abuse Claims
Mental Health Law
Data Protection
Civil Liberties
Power of Attorney
Clinical Negligence
Details
- Year established: 1979
Highlights and features
- 45 years of specialist legal expertise in the North East
- Lexcel-accredited solicitors with Law Society specialisms
- Offers Legal Aid, fixed fees, and no-win-no-fee options
- Recognised for Medomsley Detention Centre abuse compensation claims
- Multi-office coverage across Newcastle, Gateshead, and Sunderland
Associations and certifications
- Lexcel
What people say
Excellent all round service
Extremely knowledgeable
Very professional
Always at the end of the phone
Handled case efficiently
Services
Family Law
Our specialist family law team handles relationship breakdowns, child custody matters, and domestic abuse cases. Accredited by the Law Society Children Panel, we provide non-confrontational solutions for childcare arrangements and pre-relationship legal planning. With offices in Newcastle, Gateshead, and Sunderland, we offer remote consultations and urgent assistance for emergency matters.
Medical Negligence
We represent clients who have suffered harm from medical errors, including misdiagnosis and treatment failures. Our Law Society-accredited team pursues claims against NHS and private providers with an 81% success rate. Funding options include Legal Aid and no-win-no-fee agreements, with home or hospital visits available across the North East.
Abuse Claims
Specialists in historical and recent abuse cases, including the landmark Medomsley Detention Centre claims. We assist survivors of physical, sexual, and emotional abuse through compensation claims against individuals and organisations. Our team has secured settlements for over 500 former Medomsley detainees and continues advocating for a public inquiry.
Court of Protection
We represent individuals lacking mental capacity due to disabilities or illnesses in Court of Protection proceedings. Our specialists advise families and carers on legal decision-making responsibilities, covering financial matters and healthcare decisions. Services are available across North East offices with remote consultation options.
Personal Injury
Handling claims from 500 to 3m+ for workplace accidents, road traffic incidents, and catastrophic injuries. Members of the Association of Personal Injury Lawyers, we operate on a no-win-no-fee basis. Our team serves clients across Newcastle, Gateshead, Sunderland, and surrounding regions with home visit capabilities.
People
Jude Grange
Partner
Head of the family law team, accredited by the Law Society Children Panel and Resolution for private children law and domestic abuse cases. Leads specialist solicitors across all offices with over 20 years' experience in non-confrontational dispute resolution.
Andrew Kelly
Partner
Head of medical negligence department, accredited under the Law Society Clinical Negligence Scheme. Specialises in complex medical error claims with a focus on surgical and diagnostic failures. Recognised in AvMA directories for excellence in clinical negligence representation.
Cris McCurley
Consultant
International family law specialist and Resolution-accredited forced marriage expert. Leads the only North East team handling cross-border child abduction cases. Advises on preventing forced marriage, FGM, and honour-based violence with over 25 years' legal experience.
Sarah Purkis
Partner
Head of mental health law team, accredited by the Law Society Mental Health Panel. Provides specialist advice on detention rights and community treatment orders. Regularly visits clients in hospitals and secure facilities across the North East region.
Andrea Sellers
Partner
Specialist in Court of Protection matters and deputyship arrangements. Advises families and carers on legal decision-making for vulnerable individuals. Contributes to legal publications on capacity law and regularly represents clients in safeguarding proceedings.
Questions
What areas of law do you specialise in?
We specialise in family law, medical negligence, personal injury, abuse claims, mental health law, and Court of Protection matters across our North East offices.
Can I get Legal Aid for my case?
Yes, we offer Legal Aid for eligible cases alongside alternative funding options including no-win-no-fee agreements and fixed fee packages.
Do you handle emergency family law matters?
Yes, we provide urgent assistance for family law emergencies including child custody disputes and domestic abuse protection orders.
What compensation claims have you handled?
We've successfully managed over 500 Medomsley Detention Centre abuse claims and represent clients in medical negligence, personal injury, and civil liberties cases.
Reviews (5)
Sandra Johnson
May 02, 2022
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We cannot thank Felicity Swift and the team at Ben Hoare Bell enough. They guided us through our case explaining every step in a way we could understand. Felicity kept us fully informed in a relaxed friendly manner, which I think is very important as we had very little understanding of the legal system. We would definitely recommend Ben Hoare Bell to anyone needing legal help.
Andrew Ross
Jan 18, 2022
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Felicity and the team were incredibly helpful, professional, responsive and provided informative guidance to help win my case and get the best damages I could get. I couldn't be more thankful to the Sunderland team.
Maggie Jackson
Oct 19, 2021
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Had outstanding help in a difficult car accident negligence case and I have no hesitation in recommending this firm.
Alex Stainthorpe
May 21, 2021
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Horrendous, fully given the run around for a week. Multiple agreements to contact me broken, one being arranging an initial advice appointment which never materialised. Actually went to social services and had a chat getting one side of the story then neglected to get my side. Client care is non-existent avoid at all costs.
Jacqalyn Dunn
Aug 05, 2020
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Top quality staff reliable information cant fault their service many years of dealing with them and the first experience is as warm and welcoming as the last.
