Glickman & Glickman, A Law Corporation due 1226 [336Many people rely heavily on the legal representatives they contract. In many ways, this is precisely why they are hiring them —to do things they do not have the knowledge or experience, or perhaps just the time, to do themselves.
The vast majority of legal professionals people hire try to do a good job for their clients. Yet there are always exceptions – and it only takes one exception to cause a lot of trouble.
A consequential mistake
Legal professionals can make honest mistakes, just as any professional can. They might forget to do something crucial to the service you contracted them for, such as forgetting to file the paperwork for a trademark application on time or failing to include the clause you asked for in a contract sent off for signing. While you might understand that everyone makes mistakes, if you suffer harm as a result of that mistake, you may be able to hold them responsible for it.
An unethical action
Other times, it might come down to a lapse of ethics on the professional’s part. Maybe you hire an attorney whom you later discover has a history of double-dealing. Perhaps they had an exemplary record but got tempted by an offer related to what they were doing for you, even though they had always been trustworthy before. For example, may they were supposed to do their best to win a real estate dispute for you, but a developer who wanted the land paid them to lose it.
As with hiring any professional, it is wise to be vigilant and ensure you understand at least the basics about the matters at hand so you can ensure that they are meeting the expected standards. If that was not the case, you may want to seek guidance to learn whether you have grounds to claim legal malpractice.