I think the key point to take away from this discussion is that pursuing any form of legal action is highly unlikely to benefit you, for several reasons:

1. You're extremely unlikely to win any case.
2. The process would be protracted, expensive and stressful (i.e. it'd be at great financial and emotional cost, and could delay finishing the PhD considerably).
3. Taking legal action against your supervisors would be career suicide, whether you're seeking an academic position, or wish to work in industry (either way you'll need references).

Nobody's saying you shouldn't feel aggrieved or let down. Nobody's defending inattentive supervisors, or poor supervision more generally. We're simply pointing out that you'll likely end up in an even worse situation than you are now if following your proposed course of action.

I think every contributor to this thread is on your side, even if the above comments are a form of tough love. As many have said, I think you should finish the revisions as quickly as possible, chalk this one up to experience, and move on. That's not an ideal solution, but it's the best you can make of the current situation.

While you may be able to "quantify the losses," how do you prove (in any legal context) that inadequate supervision led to specific viva outcome, or that better supervision would have led to fewer revisions? You'd need to prove causality, somehow, and I don't think this is possible.

Sorry if that sounds harsh, but it seems better to be honest than suggest you pursue a course of action that would cost you more money, heighten anxiety, and in all likelihood further delay your thesis revisions. Such action may also damage your career, whether you're looking for an academic post and need connections or a reference, or need a reference for work in industry. (It shouldn't be this way, but it is.)

Perhaps a member with better legal knowledge can advise, but I don't think you'd be onto a winner here. Getting your revisions done as soon as possible and moving on is probably the best way forward.

Could you transfer your studies to the new university? This would be administratively complex, though perhaps still possible.

One student in our department, who completed last year, transferred from another institution after two and a half years (part time).

This was in the UK in a humanities subject, however, and his research was a good fit with his then new supervisor.

If your PhD involves lab and team work, I get that the obstacles to transferring would be insurmountable.

Anyway, just an idea...

I agree with comments about PhD life and the qualification's professional and financial implications.

However, it seems you've thought about such things; and I wouldn't discourage you if PhD research is your passion and goal.

I would add, however, that if you're considering an academic career, a fully funded PhD can help separate you from other candidates, along with an impressive publication record; stellar teaching credentials (it's good that you have experience already); conference presentations; careful positioning within the field (pick a trendy topic, as this will help you publish and stay attractive to employers); and administrative experience.

None of this guarantees employment. In fact, I've described most PhD graduates' CVs, and a fair proportion of "early career researchers" spend several years chasing a secure, full time academic post. Obviously not everyone succeeds, despite doing all the right things.

With all of the above in mind, I see no harm in applying for funding, as this will prove advantageous both during and after the PhD. It's an arduous road if you're funded, and a longer and more treacherous road if working part time to fund yourself.

To add a note of balance, a PhD can also be incredibly rewarding and enriching (though not in a financial sense), and if you enjoy research, and have a genuine passion for your subject, this can be reason alone to pursue one. Just be conscious of how much work is involved, and what studying for a PhD will mean professionally and financially, in both the short and long term. This way you can make an informed decision.

Oh, and have others have said, good luck! I'd say you chances of being accepted to study for a PhD are high. And to reiterate, apply for funding. What's the worst that can happen?

Tree of Life, our circumstances sound remarkably similar, only I'm slightly further down the line.

The last thing I want is to demoralise you, however. You may find that things work out for you and that opportunities present themselves before you've finished writing up.

I applied for JSA and housing benefit today. I'll see what happens here and keep plugging away looking for work. At the moment I'm really only searching for something as a stop-gap solution. JSA & HB combined may not cover my living costs, despite my frugal existence, so finding a job, any job, is my priority.

I haven't been job hunting for as long as most contributors to this thread, though I'm already feeling quite demoralised.

A while back I sent a full thesis draft on to my supervisors, who are currently reading the document and will no doubt ask for at least minor revisions pre-submission.

In the meantime, my funding has ended and I'm less than a month away from being destitute.

Finding a job of any description is proving incredibly difficult, despite having spent more than a decade in industry before returning to education.

Part of the difficulty lies with looking for temporary work. I've registered with agencies, uploaded my CV to recruitment websites, applied for jobs that I'd argue are within my capabilities, and so far I've heard nothing. I've also spoken with the agencies in question, been met with little more than a shrug, and advised to keep checking their website(s).

Trying to make my CV fit employers' requirements is also extremely difficult. I haven't worked in the "real world" for seven years, and the highly specialised experience demanded in the average job description renders my qualifications little more than an abstraction.

I can't even take on teaching work at the university, because the limited number of hours on offer don't total the equivalent of a basic salary, while accepting such a role precludes finding work elsewhere.

I'm curious, how are other people surviving? Family members are not financially able to see me through this tricky period. I'm therefore starting to worry.

I'm not aware of any funding to top up your monthly stipend; though I assume your university makes some provision for travel and research costs through smaller schemes. (You'll need to apply for these on a case-by-case basis.)

Beyond that, try to get some teaching work and save this money for the inevitable spill over into a fourth year, at which point I assume your funding will stop. (I'm not suggesting you can't submit within three years, though you'd be the exception rather than the rule.)

This sounds like a bad idea to me.

At the very least you need coherent supervision. Your current supervisors, however effective, should have a clear sense of what your work entails and the directions of your research.

An unofficial third party, who may have very different ideas to your appointed supervisors, could muddle things further.

Perhaps a meeting with your official supervisors, involving frank discussion of your project and progress, would be the most productive move at this point.

Do people not compile a bibliography as they go along? It's easy to do and spares you pain in the long run.

You're at the start of your PhD and still defining your research topic, so you shouldn't be alarmed that you haven't figured it out yet.

It's almost inevitable that your supervisors will find problems at this stage. Their feedback should help you focus your ideas, close of less productive research questions, and place tighter parameters on your work. Students commonly end up examining a very small area of their proposed topic.

It sounds like you're experiencing the same anxieties the overwhelming majority of PhD students feel early on, which is not to downplay how you feel. Importantly, you're also thinking about your work critically, and the ability to solve problems you identify is an essential skill for PhD research.

They presumably have time to switch off. I miss weekends, and family, and friends. I've lost touch with the human race as I agonise over aspects of theory that have swallowed what was conceived as an historical project. I've concluded that observation has no value in academia unless it can be refracted through theory. (Obviously my PhD is in the humanities.)

If the objective is a proliferation of theory, that will need revision when applied to a new study, will be of interest only to a handful of scholars, and of no interest anyone else, at great cost to personal relationships, I'm struggling to justify chasing an academic job.

I could spend several more years struggling on little to no money, working more hours than I could possibly count, striving to build a list of publications that might prevent job applications from being binned at first sight, but I don't fancy that much.

Excuse the negativity. (I've hit one of those points in the process). If nothing else, I understand where you're coming from.

I think that's a valid decision. Ideally (if not always practically) career choices should be about personal fulfilment. In simple terms, if you don't like your job, or if it's making you ill, it's time to consider alternatives.

Reaching the end of the process myself, I've concluded that I don't have the intellectual and emotional resources for academia. (I arguably have a deficit of both.) As painful as this is to admit, I feel pursuing an academic career would tale a toll on my physical and psychological health. That's not to say this would be true for everyone. Rather, it's an acknowledgement of my personal limitations.

Having worked in the "real world" for more than a decade before returning to academia, I have experience of a career outside of the academy and, while very demanding, my old job was never as all consuming as studying for a doctorate.

I hope you can take some comfort from the fact that you're near the end of the process; and I agree with other contributors that your health must take priority. You can't complete a PhD thesis from a hospital bed.

In other words, rest up, don't worry about what your supervisors will say, and try to put yourself before the thesis for a period.

Happily.

I'm at the end of my third year and fighting to produce something approaching a final draft. My funding has now ended, meaning I'm living on savings, which will probably last five months or so. Once my savings run out I'll have to submit and find job, whatever that may mean.

Unfortunately I'm not from money and couldn't have started the process without AHRC funding (which I'm extremely grateful for); but with no safety net in place, the prospect of not having a satisfactory draft written by the time the money runs out is pretty frightening.

It's conceivable that I'll be in a similar position to yourself in the near future. I'm not sure my PhD journey has been unusually rocky, though the realisation that chapters are still not ready upon receiving feedback from supervisors caused a bit of panic a few weeks back.

I consider myself fortunate in many regards, since I'm studying at a university with a collegiate atmosphere and a strong postgraduate support network. None of that stops the self-doubt, imposter syndrome, and fatigue that come with the process.

I'm pretty exhausted right now; and the need to get up each day and write (and rewrite) sections of the thesis is taking a toll. The obvious advice is to take a break, but I really can't afford to (in very literal terms, as outlined above).

For what it's worth, I think you should change your forum name from "hopeless," if that's at all possible. I appreciate that it's a reflection of how you feel right now, but it shouldn't define you as a researcher; and you may feel very differently in the not-too-distant future.

I haven't contributed to this forum much, though I've been a long time lurker. Nevertheless, I'd like to hear how you get on, with your supervisors in the coming days, and with the process more generally.

Sorry to hear you're feeling so down.

What do your supervisors say about redrafting work and writing a conclusion pre-viva?

You'd be demonstrating that you're a conscientious and proactive reseacher, but your examiners might suggest revisions and conclusions that could render this extra work immaterial.

A thorough chat with your supervisors about the thesis and your next course of action should hopefully provide some clarity.

The fact that you'd be funded helps considerably.

As I say, it helps to think of a funded PhD as a job. You'll survive relatively comfortably.

It's also very useful that you won't need to find other work (though I'd recommend GTA work, for which you'll receive a salary in supplement to your monthly stipend), meaning you can devote more time to researching and writing your thesis. When your funding ends and the thesis isn't finished (this is by far the most likely scenario), you'll need to have made some provision financially. Place your GTA salary in a savings account in expectation of this period.

The qualification may not help you advance in career terms, but a funded PhD is a great opportunity for personal growth. If this is primarily what you seek from the experience, I'd say grab the opportunity with both hands. If career opportunities supersede such a desire, however, the decision becomes much tougher.

Be under no illusions, though. Studying for a PhD is a substantial undertaking that requires absolute commitment.

Best of luck, whatever you decide!