Legal malpractice is rare, but it does happen. Just as there are irresponsible professionals in every field, there can be negligent and unethical lawyers who attempt to take advantage of their clients.One of the most common forms of legal malpractice involves...
In every profession, there are bad apples in the bunch. However, certain occupations require minimal errors, including your legal representation. While lawyers spend years in education and certification programs, some attorneys don’t take their responsibility...
It’s not your responsibility to know everything. That’s what professionals like dentists, CPAs and — of course — lawyers are for.However, because of the need for these professionals it is important that the people working in these industries take care to do their jobs...
Question: My attorney has been representing me for about 6 months, and frankly, he doesn’t seem to know what he is doing. I am in the middle of trying to get divorced. My husband’s attorney is sending us inquiries about my income, bonuses, assets etc. I’ve answered...
Question: I hired my attorney over a year ago for my divorce. He filed the papers to begin the case, but has done nothing since that I am aware of. He hasn’t even served my ex with the papers. My ex could care less—he doesn’t have an attorney, is not paying child...
Question: About 18 months ago, I was in a car accident. Immediately after the accident, I called an acquaintance who is a personal injury attorney. He took my case, but not much happened.Finally, about 4 months ago, he called me into his office and told me that he...
I was the victim of an assault and the perpetrator was found guilty. I contacted a lawyer about pursuing monetary damages against the individual. The attorney determined that I had a valid legal claim and agreed to represent me. Months passed and I heard very little...
We’ve been looking in recent posts at the duty of candor attorneys owe to the court, and the harm that can result from their failure to properly exercise their duties in this area. Last time, we mentioned several potential scenarios which could constitute an abuse of...
In our last post, we began looking at the duty of candor attorneys owe to the court, and how this duty can sometimes run counter to an attorney’s duty of confidentiality to the client and the attorney-client privilege. Confidentiality and privilege ordinarily are so...
At the heart of many legal malpractice claims is a lawyer’s violation of ethical duties as articulated in state rules of professional conduct. These duties include things like: handling a client’s case with competence and diligence; keeping clients updated about the...
