When you hire an attorney, it is because you need their expertise and experience to help you through a stressful event in your life. Unfortunately, just as in every other profession, there are bad attorneys out there who, for one reason or another, just don’t do what you hired them to do. There is something you can do about it, though, by filing an attorney malpractice suit against the attorney who didn’t do their job. Here are some common reasons that legal malpractice suits are filed.
What is legal malpractice?
Legal malpractice has nothing to do with a client not getting the results they would like to see – often, this is out of the hands of the lawyer. It deals with neglect on the part of the lawyer; for instance, if they missed a statute of limitations deadline for filing a lawsuit, missed discovery deadlines, or neglected to designate proper witnesses or experts. Another common type of legal malpractice is divorce malpractice: the offending lawyer may be unprepared for trial, may not object to improper evidence when they should, or may fail to introduce evidence showing that a former spouse was hiding assets.
Excessive billing is another type of malpractice that is seen all too often. Written fee agreements should clearly spell out what the lawyer will do and how much it will cost each step of the way. However, some lawyers may fail to perform tasks in the agreement or may exceed the scope of the agreement. If you go to a lawyer and no attempt is made to offer you such an agreement, that is a cause for suspicion. Fees and what you can expect your lawyer to do for your case should both be spelled out as one of the first steps of hiring a lawyer.
If you think you have been a victim of legal malpractice, you need someone who has the experience and the drive to advocate for you and your rights. Don’t be intimidated by the fact that you are going up against your old attorney – Laurie Robbins can help you. Contact the Atlanta office for a free consultation. Call 404-252-8117 today.