How to Fire your Lawyer

UPDATED: Jul 16, 2021

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Jeffrey Johnson

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Jeffrey Johnson is a legal writer with a focus on personal injury. He has worked on personal injury and sovereign immunity litigation in addition to experience in family, estate, and criminal law. He earned a J.D. from the University of Baltimore and has worked in legal offices and non-profits in Maryland, Texas, and North Carolina. He has also earned an MFA in screenwriting from Chapman Univer...

Insurance Lawyer

UPDATED: Jul 16, 2021

Advertiser Disclosure

It’s all about you. We want to help you make the right legal decisions.

We strive to help you make confident insurance and legal decisions. Finding trusted and reliable insurance quotes and legal advice should be easy. This doesn’t influence our content. Our opinions are our own.

Editorial Guidelines: We are a free online resource for anyone interested in learning more about legal topics and insurance. Our goal is to be an objective, third-party resource for everything legal and insurance related. We update our site regularly, and all content is reviewed by experts.

UPDATED: Jul 16, 2021

Advertiser Disclosure

It’s all about you. We want to help you make the right legal decisions.

We strive to help you make confident insurance and legal decisions. Finding trusted and reliable insurance quotes and legal advice should be easy. This doesn’t influence our content. Our opinions are our own.

UPDATED: Jul 16, 2021Fact Checked

You paid an attorney a sizeable deposit to represent you, but he’s not showing up to help you with your case. The court is getting frustrated, and so are you. You then wonder, “How do I fire my attorney, who misses court appearances, doesn’t file documents with the court on time, and repeatedly fails to communicate with me, etc.?” How and when you terminate the attorney-client relationship can impact your case and your finances. Written notice is always the best form of terminating the relationship. However, before you sign the termination letter, review your retainer agreement, the court’s rules, and your state bar website.

A retainer agreement is the contractual agreement between you and the attorney. Like other agreements, some will set out specific agreements about terminating the relationship and fees. As a client, you can fire your attorney at any time. You will be responsible for paying for all work done by the attorney up to the time of discharge. You should give written notice to the attorney that he/she is fired. You should also read the retainer agreement carefully to comply with terms regarding the discharge of your attorney.

If you have a lawsuit pending, make sure that you are familiar with local court rules. The court may have remedies, In addition, to those in your retainer agreement. A court can impose sanctions (fines) against an attorney who misses court appearances or fails to file documents timely. As a client, your case can be adversely affected if the attorney misses court appearances or doesn’t file documents on time with the court. If you fire your attorney, make sure that the court is aware of the change in your representation so they will begin sending notices to you, instead of your attorney. After you discharge your attorney, you are responsible for handling the details of your lawsuit. The judge also has broad discretion to dismiss your case for missed filing deadlines or missed court appearances.

In addition to the terms of a retainer agreement, every attorney must comply with ethical obligations in the course of representing the client and handling the case. Missing court appearances, failing to file documents with the court on time, and failing to communicate with the client, are all examples of ethical violations for which an attorney can be subject to discipline. The rules of Professional Responsibility for attorneys are set forth by the American Bar Association (ABA) and also by the state in which the attorney is licensed. These rules by the ABA and by an individual state may have some minor differences even though they address similar concerns. Consult your state bar organization to see what remedies may apply to your situation. Depending on the nature of the problems you are experiencing with the attorney, you might want to contact the State Bar prior to firing the attorney to see if the problems can be resolved. Sometimes a call from the State Bar to an attorney results in the attorney correcting these problems. No attorney wants to be contacted by the State Bar regarding potential discipline. If your dispute with the attorney involves fees, your State Bar may have arbitration of fee disputes which may be able to assist you.

You may also want to get a second opinion from a different lawyer. Some state bars will post whether attorneys have had grievances filed against them. Before you consult a new attorney, make sure their record is clear. If you like the new attorney, they can file a “motion to substitute counsel.” Essentially, the motion terminates your old attorney’s involvement, and allows the new attorney to take over the case. The advantage of this method of termination is that you are not left unrepresented or unprotected during your lawsuit. This is especially important if you have any pending motions, like a motion for summary judgment, where timelines are very strict. A new attorney can also combine the motion to substitute with a motion for continuance so they can have more time to take care of your legal interests.

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Jeffrey Johnson

Insurance Lawyer

Jeffrey Johnson is a legal writer with a focus on personal injury. He has worked on personal injury and sovereign immunity litigation in addition to experience in family, estate, and criminal law. He earned a J.D. from the University of Baltimore and has worked in legal offices and non-profits in Maryland, Texas, and North Carolina. He has also earned an MFA in screenwriting from Chapman Univer...

Insurance Lawyer

Editorial Guidelines: We are a free online resource for anyone interested in learning more about legal topics and insurance. Our goal is to be an objective, third-party resource for everything legal and insurance related. We update our site regularly, and all content is reviewed by experts.

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