When you hire an attorney, you put an immense amount of trust in your legal representation to fight on your behalf.
You have a right to expect that your attorney will act professionally and follow every rule of law along the way to achieve a good outcome for you. Unfortunately, just as in every profession, there are attorneys who are not good at their jobs. There are signs that may indicate that your attorney is incompetent.
Consistently missing deadlines
Attorneys must meet filing deadlines with the court throughout a court case. The court creates a schedule that attorneys must stick to, though attorneys may file for extensions in some instances. If your attorney routinely misses deadlines without requesting extensions and your case suffers because of it, your attorney is not doing their job.
Failing to show up or coming unprepared
You expect that your attorney will show up when scheduled. If your attorney misses scheduled meetings with you, either in person or over the phone, without rescheduling ahead of time, they are failing. It is extremely unprofessional behavior for an attorney to miss scheduled court appearances or show up to court unprepared.
Poor communication or making decisions without consulting you
Your attorney works for you. You hire them to represent you. If they fail to communicate with you or make decisions about your case without consulting you, such as accepting a settlement offer, they are not doing their job properly.
If your attorney was incompetent and made costly mistakes, you may have a case for legal malpractice against them. Speak with a new attorney whose focus is malpractice to see if you have a case and what your options may be.