Everything You Need to Know About Communicating With Your Lawyer
It can be a tricky situation when a lawyer does not communicate with their client effectively–– if at all. Here’s what to do if your lawyer is not communicating with you.
There are a range of routes a client can take if they have reason to believe their lawyer is not communicating with them. When a client hires a lawyer, they are entering a professional relationship and it is neither fair nor appropriate for the lawyer to disrespect this relationship by not communicating properly with their client. Clients place a level of trust in their lawyer as well, which can be compromised or questioned if the lawyer does not maintain steady contact with the clients they are representing. Issues of this kind can be indicative of a larger communication problem.
Reaching the Decision to Terminate the Professional Relationship
If a client has exhausted all other options or believes that taking legal action is most appropriate in their situation, they can initiate a malpractice suit against their lawyer. If a lawyer is persistent in not communicating with their client and does not meet their expectations (i.e. does not respond to any calls or emails) the client may have a good reason for breaking this professional tie.
An attorney’s poor communication skills with their client can lead to other issues as well, such as their incompetence to handle their case or being too busy to dedicate enough time to it. A client should look out for all of these signs when evaluating whether or not they would like to continue working with their lawyer.
Before ending the attorney-client relationship, it is important for the client to consult their retainer agreement, which is the contract for services between the attorney and client. If the client still wishes to end the relationship, they can relay this via a letter or email, ideally with a request for their lawyer to confirm their receipt of the message. The note can detail the client’s concerns, grievances, and specific reasons for seeking an end to the professional relationship.
Non-Legal Suggestions
If the client does not wish to take legal action, they can first express their concern to their lawyer via a letter or email message. If the client is not comfortable leaving their concerns in writing, they can put a call out to their lawyer as well. Perhaps there is a gap of communication, or the lawyer and client have different communication styles. A brief conversation may solve the problem and lead to a more fruitful professional relationship in the future for all people involved.
Tips for Crafting a Message to the Lawyer
While it is understandable for a client to feel frustrated if their lawyer is not communicating effectively, it is important to maintain a professional demeanor when starting this conversation.
If the client decides to write their message in the form of a letter or email, they can apply the following tips when crafting their letter.
- Keep the message short and sweet,
- Maintain a respectful and professional tone,
- Be clear in addressing concerns,
- Provide reasoning for either repairing or terminating the professional relationship, and
- Offer an opportunity to discuss the message further via a phone call or meeting (if necessary).
Keep in mind that there is no perfect way to approach this situation, and the nature of the conversation depends on the existing client-attorney relationship.
A Potential Legal Option
If an attorney stops working on their client’s case altogether, with little to no explanation as to why, the client can look into filing a malpractice lawsuit. While most malpractice suits involve medical professionals, there are options to file suit against one’s lawyer. Additional information on how to file a malpractice suit in California can be found here.
Contact Us
If you have any more questions on what to do if your lawyer is not communicating with you, contact us. Her Lawyer is committed to providing you with hands-on legal assistance.