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How to Sue Your Attorney for Malpractice
To sue your attorney for malpractice, you have to prove that their breach of duty caused financial, legal or other negative outcomes for you. It's not enough to show that the attorney's negligence was bad it is also necessary to establish that there is a direct connection between the breach and the resulting outcome.
Strategies do not qualify as legal malpractice, however, if your lawyer fails to file a lawsuit on time and you lose the case it could be a case of malpractice.
Misuse of Funds
One of the most popular types of legal malpractice is a lawyer's misuse of funds. Attorneys have a fiduciary relationship with their clients and are required to act with the highest degree of trust and fidelity, especially when handling funds or other property that the client has handed over to them.
When a client makes a payment for their retainer, the lawyer is required by law to keep that money in a separate escrow fund that is only utilized for that particular case. If the attorney combines the escrow account with their own personal funds or uses it for other purposes that is a clear violation of fiduciary duty and could constitute legal negligence.
As an example, suppose that a client hires an attorney to represent them in an action against a driver who struck them as they were walking across the street. The client can prove the driver's negligence and that the collision caused their injuries. The lawyer, however, fails to comply with the law and is not able to file the case in time. Thus, the lawsuit is dismissed and the party who was injured is liable for financial losses due to the lawyer's error.
A statute of limitations limits the time you have to bring a lawsuit against a lawyer for malpractice. It can be difficult to determine if an injury or loss is caused by the attorney's negligence. A qualified New York attorney with experience in the field of malpractice lawyer law can explain the statute of limitations to you and help determine if your case is a good candidate for a legal malpractice lawsuit.
Do not follow the professional rules of conduct
Legal Malpractice Lawyers occurs when an attorney fails to adhere to generally accepted professional standards and causes harm to the client. It is based on the same four elements that are common to all torts: an attorney-client relationship and a duty, a breach, and proximate causation.
Some typical examples of malpractice include mixing trust and personal account funds, failing in time to file suit within the statute of limitations or taking on cases in which they are not competent, not performing a conflict check, and not keeping up-to-date on court proceedings or new developments in the law that may affect the case. Lawyers have a responsibility to communicate with their clients in a timely manner. This does not only include email and faxing and includes also returning phone calls promptly.
Attorneys can also commit fraud. This can happen in a variety of ways, malpractice lawyers such as lying to the client or anyone else involved in the case. It is important to know the facts in order to determine whether the attorney was untruthful. It's also a violation of the contract between attorney and client if an attorney is assigned an assignment that is not within the scope of their expertise and fails to inform the client of this or suggest they seek out separate counsel.
Failure to Advise
If a client decides to hire an attorney, it indicates that they've reached the stage where their legal problem is beyond their own skill and experience and they are no longer able to resolve it on their own. It is the lawyer's duty to provide advice to clients regarding the merits of a particular case along with the costs and risks associated with it, and their rights. If an attorney does not do this, they may be guilty of malpractice.
Many legal malpractice claims result from a lack of communication between attorneys and their clients. For example attorneys may not return phone calls or fail to notify their clients of the decision made on their behalf. A lawyer may also fail to provide important information regarding the case or fail identify any issues with a transaction.
It is possible to bring a lawsuit against an attorney for negligence, but a plaintiff must prove they were able to recover financial losses as a result of the negligence of their lawyer. The losses have to be documented, which requires evidence such as client files emails, correspondence between the lawyer and the client, along with bills. In cases of fraud or theft An expert witness could be needed to investigate the case.
Failure to Follow the Law
Attorneys are required to adhere to the law and understand the laws that apply to specific situations. They could be found guilty of misconduct in the event that they fail to follow. Examples include mixing client funds with their own, or using settlement proceeds to pay personal expenses, and failing to perform basic due diligence.
Another instance of legal malpractice includes failure to file an action within the statute of limitations, not meeting deadlines for filing in court and malpractice lawyers not observing the Rules of Professional Conduct. Attorneys are also required to disclose any conflict of interest. This means that they have to inform clients of any financial or personal concerns that could impact their judgment when representing them.
In addition, attorneys are required to follow instructions from their clients. If a customer instructs them to take particular action, the attorney must follow the instructions unless there is an obvious reason why it would not be beneficial or feasible.
In order to win a malpractice suit, the plaintiff has to show that the lawyer acted in violation of his duty of care. It isn't easy to establish that the defendant's inaction or actions caused damage. It is not enough to show that the attorney's negligence led to a poor outcome. A malpractice claim must also prove that there was a high chance that the plaintiff's claim could have been won had the defendant had followed normal procedures.