The Isle of Man

Isle of Man Litigation

Local jurisdiction. Local Advocates.

The Isle of Man is a separate legal jurisdiction with its own courts, legislation, procedure and legal profession.

Where a dispute involves Manx law or proceedings before the Isle of Man Courts, local legal advice matters.

We are Advocates.

Solicitor and barrister in one.

One of the most important differences between the Isle of Man and England and Wales is that the Manx legal profession is fused.

We do not have separate professions of solicitors and barristers.

A Manx Advocate performs both roles.

That means the lawyer who advises you, develops the strategy, works with the evidence and prepares the case can also be the advocate who stands up in court and argues it.

For clients, that provides valuable continuity.

We know the case because we have worked on it. We understand the evidence because we have helped develop it. And when the case reaches court, we are ready to advocate.

We are not simply litigation lawyers. We are Advocates.

Litigation in the Isle of Man

The Isle of Man has its own body of law and its own court system.

Although Manx law shares many principles with English law, it should not be assumed that the law, procedure or available remedies will always be the same.

Our Advocates regularly conduct proceedings before the Isle of Man Courts, from urgent interim applications through to substantial trials and appeals.

Where a case requires additional specialist expertise, we regularly work alongside King’s Counsel and other specialist counsel from outside the Island.

The Manx Advocate remains at the centre of the case: managing the proceedings locally, advising on Manx law and procedure and working with external counsel as part of the wider litigation team.

Instructing Isle of Man Advocates

A significant part of Advocates Smith Taubitz Unsworth Ltd’s work involves clients, lawyers, insurers and professional advisers based outside the Isle of Man.

We regularly work alongside UK and international law firms on disputes with a Manx dimension.

• Proceedings before the Isle of Man Courts
• Advice on Manx law and procedure
• Urgent injunctions and interim remedies
• Cross-border commercial disputes
• Fraud and asset recovery
• Insolvency-related litigation
• Regulatory and financial crime matters
• Personal injury and insurance litigation
• Appeals
• Working with King’s Counsel and other specialist counsel

We are comfortable acting as the client’s principal litigation team or working alongside existing lawyers where the Manx proceedings form part of a wider matter.

Our role is to provide the Manx expertise the case requires and make working across jurisdictions straightforward.