How to Sue Your Attorney for Malpractice

To bring a lawsuit against an attorney for negligence, you need to show that the breach of duty resulted in negative financial, legal or other consequences for you. You must prove that there was a direct link between your attorney's negligence and the negative result.

Legal malpractice does not cover matters of strategy. However, if you lose a case due to your lawyer was not able to file the lawsuit on time this could be considered the result of malpractice.

Inappropriate use of funds

Misuse of funds by a lawyer is among the most common forms of legal malpractice. Lawyers have a fiduciary connection with their clients and are expected to act with the utmost trust and Malpractice Lawyers fidelity, particularly when handling funds or other property that the client has left to them.

If a client pays retainer fees, their lawyer is required to put the money in a separate escrow account specifically destined for the purpose of the case only. If the lawyer co-mingles the escrow account with their personal funds or utilizes it for other purposes, this is a clear violation of fiduciary duty and could constitute legal negligence.

For example, imagine that a customer hires their attorney to represent them in the case of a driver who hit them while they were walking along the street. The client has the ability to prove driver's negligence, and that the collision caused their injuries. Their lawyer violates the law and is unable file the case on time. Consequently, the lawsuit is dismissed and the person who was hurt is financially harmed due to the lawyer's error.

The time frame for suing an attorney for negligence is governed by a statute of limitations which can be a challenge to determine in cases where a loss or injury was the result of the negligence of the attorney. A reputable New York attorney with experience in malpractice law can explain the statute of limitations to you and help you determine if your case is a suitable candidate for a legal malpractice lawyers suit.

Failure to Follow the Rules of Professional Conduct

Legal malpractice is when an attorney does not follow generally accepted standards of professional conduct, and inflicts harm on the client. It is based on the same four elements as the majority of torts, including an attorney-client relationship and a duty, a breach, and proximate causation.

Some typical examples of malpractice include a lawyer who has a personal and trust account funds, failing in time to make a claim within the statute of limitations and taking on cases in which they are not competent, not conducting a conflict-check, and not being up-to-date on court proceedings or new developments in the law that may affect the case. Lawyers also have a responsibility to communicate with clients in a reasonable way. This doesn't only apply to email or fax as well as returning phone calls promptly.

Attorneys can also commit fraud. This can be done in various ways, including lying to the client or anyone else involved in the case. It is essential to understand the facts so you can determine if the attorney was insincere. It also constitutes a breach of the contract between attorney and client if an attorney takes on cases that are outside of their area of expertise and fails to inform the client about this or advise them to seek separate counsel.

Inability to advise

When a client employs an attorney, it implies that their legal issues have been beyond their expertise and experience. They are unable solve the issue on their own. Lawyers are required to inform clients about the advantages of the case, the potential risks and costs involved, as well as their rights. If an attorney does not do this, they may be guilty of malpractice.

Many legal malpractice lawyers (full report) claims stem from a lack of communication between lawyers and their clients. An attorney might not return a phone calls or fail to inform their clients of a certain decision that they have made on their behalf. An attorney may not be able to communicate crucial information regarding a case or fail to inform clients of issues in transactions.

It is possible to bring a lawsuit against an attorney for negligence, but the client must prove that they suffered financial losses as a result of the negligence of their lawyer. These losses should be documented. This requires evidence, such as client files and emails or other correspondence between an attorney and a client as well bills. In the case of theft or fraud it could be necessary to engage an expert witness to review the case.

Inability to Follow the Law

Attorneys are required to adhere to the law and comprehend the law's implications in particular circumstances. If they fail to do so and they don't, they could be found guilty of misconduct. Examples include mixing funds from clients with their own and using settlement proceeds to pay for personal expenses and failing to exercise basic due diligence.

Another example of legal malpractice is failure to file an action within the statute of limitations, not meeting deadlines for filing court documents, and not following the Rules of Professional Conduct. Attorneys are also required to disclose any conflict of conflicts of interest. This means that they have to inform clients of any financial or personal concerns that could impact their decision-making process when representing them.

In addition, attorneys are required to follow instructions from their clients. If a client instructs them to take a specific action the attorney must comply with the instructions, unless there's an obvious reason to believe that it would not be beneficial or even feasible.

In order to prevail in a malpractice case, the plaintiff has to prove that the lawyer has violated his duty of care. It isn't easy to prove that the defendant's actions or actions caused damage. It isn't enough to prove that the attorney's error led to a poor outcome. A malpractice claim must also show that there was a substantial likelihood that the plaintiff's lawsuit could have been settled if the defendant had followed standard procedures.