The consequences of the accident can be chaotic and confusing. If you are making a claim for personal injury or insurance claim, you can hurry to hire a lawyer who can represent your interests. Can I fire my lawyer before trial?
Signs you need to hire a new lawyer
Despite rigorous legal education, exams and training, which a lawyer must have a good opinion of, not all lawyers are equally qualified. In fact, several signs point to an unskilled and unprofessional compensation lawyer. If your lawyer exhibits any of the following behaviors, start looking elsewhere.
- Your lawyer does not explain your strategy regarding your case.
- Your lawyer transfers the case to the case manager instead of dealing with the case personally.
- Your lawyer does not consistently return your calls and emails.
- Your lawyer doesn’t explain the value of your case.
- Your lawyer doesn’t tell you what to do to prepare for your case.
- Your lawyer is trying to force you to do things that are not convenient for you.
Change of attorneys
If another lawyer approaches you and tries to find your case from your current lawyer, you may think about your decision. Poaching clients is very unethical, and an attorney who is ready to engage in unethical behavior to secure your case may also be willing to jeopardize your case with other unethical or illegal activities.
Some lawyers may hesitate to accept a case from a previous representative for several reasons. For example, if you fired a lawyer who spent a year working on your case, your next lawyer will have to catch up on a year’s work. If you have a history of repeatedly firing lawyers, the judge hearing your case may become frustrated and think that you are deliberately interfering with court proceedings and wasting time and resources.
You will also need to consider the cost of dismissing your attorney. If you have a lawyer based on unpredictable expenses, your lawyer will probably be able to make a claim against your case for the time you spend working on it. This can take the form of a percentage of the total prize amount or hourly rate for the time spent on your case. You will have to pay the dismissed lawyer and then consider settling with a new lawyer.
Claims against your case
Another fact to keep in mind is that the lawyer you are releasing will probably have a lien or claim against the case in order to recover the fair and reasonable value of the time he spent in the case. The pledge may take the form of a percentage fee or hourly rate for documented hours spent on the case. Your “new” lawyer may not be willing to spend the time and money necessary to properly settle the case if he has to pay a high fee to his previous lawyer. Or a “new” lawyer may try to charge you a higher fee to account for the fee he must pay to the previous lawyer. Some contracts with lawyers charge the client for the costs of the case. In such cases, be prepared to cover the costs of the lawyer after his representation.
Communication is key
If you are angry with your lawyer for not calling back or paying attention to your case, you should discuss your feelings with your lawyer before you release him. Virtually all lawyers work on many cases at the same time. Your lawyer may be involved in a different process during trial, testimony or out of town. If he didn’t call you back, that could be a good reason. Leave a message to the secretary or legal assistant. Often, the secretary or legal assistant can inform you about the state of your case.
