The attorney you hire for legal matters should be able to competently represent you. They’re bound by specific guidelines for how they handle each case they work on. Once they agree to represent you, they must do their absolute best to do what’s in your best interests.
Unfortunately, there are times when attorneys don’t do everything exactly how they should. It’s possible that malpractice could become an issue in your case. Once this occurs, negative impacts can occur.
1. Did the attorney guarantee an outcome?
Attorneys shouldn’t ever guarantee the outcome of any case. There are far too many grey areas of the law and too many variables that can occur. They can set goals with you and tell you what’s likely going to happen but a guarantee isn’t ever appropriate.
2. Has the attorney behaved unethically?
Ethics are important for attorneys. You need to know that they will behave with integrity so you know that you can trust them. A lawyer who behaves ethically and loses a case is much better than one who acts unethically just to win. One area to pay close attention to is a conflict of interest because this could lead to huge issues with your case.
3. Did the lawyer clearly outline their fees?
You should always know exactly what you’re going to have to pay for your attorney’s services. They should have a fee schedule that’s clearly outlined. The number of hours you’re paying for should show in the type of services you receive, which means you’ll have more hours billed for a well-put-together case than you would one that’s just thrown together.
Ultimately, you have to do what’s in your best interests. If your attorney wasn’t representing you as they should have and your legal case suffered because of it, you may have a claim for legal malpractice.