FIX MY CASE - My Lawyer
Messed Up!
Family law is probably the most volatile
area of civil law and litigation. Attorney-
client relations are often strained by
the stressful aspects of a divorce case
or a child custody dispute. All too often
people getting divorced or involved in
domestic relations court find themselves
firing one lawyer and hiring another.
Unfortunately, not all lawyers are equally
trained or equally adept in family court.
These days, there are many reports of
lawyers missing deadlines, failing to
conduct proper investigations or pretrial
discovery, turning away opportunities
to seize and potentially win the case.
Often, too, clients are so upset with
their own personal circumstances that
they misunderstand the activities of
their lawyers or falsely accuse them
of handling their cases inappropriately.
Family law is, therefore, a difficult
area, and parties as well as their lawyers
must work hard to maintain a professional
relationship from beginning to end.
If you believe that your case has been
sidetracked or derailed by an incompetent
lawyer, or if you simply are unable to
communicate with your lawyer for personal
reasons, it may be time to change lawyers.
You should always consider speaking with
your lawyer about the circumstances that
are weakening your relationship—before
you consider hiring a new lawyer.
Sometimes
an inattentive attorney can straighten
up, get back on track, and re-focus on
your case, more quickly than a new attorney
can learn the details of your case.
On
the other hand, you may be confronted
with an attorney who does not understand
the nuances of your case, does not return
your phone calls or answer your emails
and appears to always be on the defensive
in court, rather than taking control
of the situation. If you truly feel that
your case has been delayed or derailed
by the inactivity of an attorney, you
should seek new counsel as early as possible.
Courts do not favor a change in attorneys
at the last moment.
You can often find
a new attorney through the bar association
and through other legal and non-legal
associations in your community.
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