Do you use subcontractors?

Advisers can subcontract parts of the work: technical writing, specialist review, or the whole claim. There can be good reasons, such as bringing in someone who knows your field. It also means your technical information, your financial records and the claim itself pass to people you have not met and have no contract with. If something goes wrong, the letter decides whether the adviser answers for the subcontractor's work.

A clear statement of which parts of the work, if any, are subcontracted and to whom. Confidentiality terms that bind the subcontractor as they bind the adviser. A statement that the adviser remains responsible for the whole claim. The same access for you to the people doing the technical work, whoever employs them.

Work passed on without telling you. Your information shared under confidentiality terms you have not seen. An adviser who disclaims responsibility for a subcontractor's part of the claim. Technical descriptions written by someone who has never spoken to your team.

• The clause: confidentiality
• The script: asking to see the claim before filing
• Red flag: no one speaks to your engineers. Green flag: named people with qualifications you can check
• Who will do the technical work?