If you need professional help for your legal problems, they you should really hire a lawyer to survive the problem. There are so many lawyers out there and with just one click away, you’ now have a legal representation.
But how would you know that your lawyer is professional and you don’t need to fire him or her right away? Below are the signs that you should look for to know when you hired a bad lawyer:
Enthusiasm is not there
Being a lawyer means convincing the judge and jury to side in your favor. If the lawyer you hired is lacks the enthusiasm about the case or looks unsure, consider it as red flag. Another sign is if they are too confident without being realistic and preparation.
Poor communication or none at all
Lawyers are expected to have good communications skills. So if your lawyer is no good in communicating with you, hire someone else to do the job. Are you feeling frustrated because you can’t get a good response from your chosen lawyer? If you are constantly struggling to get hold of your lawyer, consider that as no communication at all.
In this era of internet, there are so many ways you can reach out to your lawyers. You can text them, call them, or use social media to talk to them. Get everything details on how to communicate with them and give them where to reach you. So it would be easy for both of you to communicate.
Success rate is low
Lawyers have the tendency to speak highly of themselves and their success. But you have no idea if it’s true or not. One way to find out is asking for reference and calling previous clients about their experience on this one particular lawyer. You can also check their past cases similar to yours. Selecting the right lawyer with high success rate is beneficial if they have enough experience about your case.
Unclear, shady billing
Be careful where you spend your money; the value you give out for your legal needs. Sometimes, it’s so easy to invest in cheap defense and get unsuccessful results. But there are lawyers who will bleed you out of money and get undesired results. You should discern whether you’re getting the service you need or not. It’s better that lawyers should explain the billing process from the start so you have an idea when to pay and expect the result.
Unprofessional behavior and attitude
Sometimes, it’s obvious that it’s time to let go of your lawyer. If they show lack of dedication, start looking for another one. Unprofessional behaviors of lawyers include:
- Missing important meetings or sometimes late to the appointment
- Not returning the calls of the clients
- Deciding on important matters without consulting the clients
- Conflict of interest
Misses all important deadlines
The legal industry gives importance to deadlines as it can make or break the case. Missing deadlines will definitely damage your case and it will go down the hill. No matter how valid your case is, if your lawyer failed to meet the deadlines, it will have an impact to the case and it might be a ground for negligence and legal malpractice suit.
Forgets the case details
A professional and capable lawyer must know all the details of your case and he/she should remember them all the time – before and after meeting the client. It’s part of their job as your legal representation. Now, if you notice that your lawyer seem like lost or doesn’t know what they’re doing, it’s obvious that he/she doesn’t really care about the case and not doing the job properly.
No progress in the case
If you observe that your case doesn’t have any progress – no meetings with other side, no set court date – then you should start questioning the capability of your lawyer and find someone else who can do the job.
No empathy or compassion
It’s not all about winning, but lawyers should know how to empathize with the clients especially if it’s a family law case. Family lawyers should always have compassion for their clients since family matters are sensitive issue. They should understand what their clients are going through. A lawyer who doesn’t show compassion or empathy is a bad one. They should be able to understand the situation and will back you up no matter what.
Decisiveness is not present
When you first meet your lawyer, as a client, you should be able to lay out the plan on how to go continue with your legal concern. You should also educate yourself about the legal matter you have before meeting the lawyer so both of you can draw a good battle plan. Each time you meet with your lawyer, she/he should be able to let you know the next important step that you should make and how can both of you get success out of it.
Lack of enough references
A list of previous clients is a reference that you should check out to know how competitive a lawyer is. It is a great tool to assess your lawyer’s reputation, capability, and success rate. If he/she decline to provide a reference for the past clients and colleagues, it means that he/she had a bad term with previous clients or former co-workers won’t say anything good.
