Common Types of Complaints You Might File Against an Attorney
All lawyers have written standards that they are required to follow. If you encounter a lawyer who you believe does not follow these standards, you may file a complaint and this might lead to an investigation. Depending on how the investigation goes, your attorney might even face a punishment. This is a great way to hold a lawyer accountable if you believe that you were mistreated.
Dishonesty
Contrary to popular belief, lawyers are obligated to tell the truth in many cases to avoid being disbarred or facing other consequences. If the lawyer is dishonest in any particular way to you, a third-party group, or the courts, this might be a reason to file a complaint.
Failure to Respond in a Reasonable Amount of Time
If you request information from your attorney, they might fail to respond in a reasonable time frame. Lawyers are often overworked but are still expected to respond or have a paralegal working for their law firm respond to important comments.
Your lawyer might not have given you the money that was collected specifically for your case. Funds may have been raised to pay for court costs.
A Conflict of Interest
You might feel like you were not represented properly because the lawyer had a conflict of interest. For example, you might discover that your lawyer is related to the defendant and you aren't informed about this. You may also feel like your case was neglected.
Settling Without Your Permission
Your attorney will likely advise you to settle your case out of court because settlements are less expensive. However, if your attorney settles without your permission, you may want to file a complaint.
Failure to Return Papers
There may be papers that should be returned after your case is resolved, but your attorney failed to return them. However, you are only due these papers after you have paid any necessary fees. If you believe that it's time to take action against your attorney, there are attorney disciplinary complaint forms you can file. Then, you will be able to hold your attorney accountable and resolve any issues you are facing. Also, even if you are not a client, anyone can file a complaint against any legal professional.
If you are filing a complaint against your own lawyer, you can even continue to receive representation from the same lawyer unless you choose to end the relationship directly or the lawyer believes that they cannot adequately represent you. For more information, contact services that have attorney disciplinary complaint forms for sale.
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