You expected a certain level of professionalism when you hired your attorney. After all, this case was very important to you and would, in many ways, define your life. You needed a legal expert on your side.
From the beginning, you started to worry about what type of assistance you were actually getting. Communication was infrequent, and you often felt ignored. It seemed like your lawyer had no empathy for your position and did not really care about you or the case. They did not have any enthusiasm about winning and just seemed like they were there to cash a check and see what happened in court.
All of these were massive red flags, but you pushed on. Then you got to court, and it was clear your attorney had not actually prepared for the case. They had no counterarguments. They barely seemed to know what you had been accused of. They made clear mistakes with basic information. You had to correct them repeatedly, and they seemed generally confused.
That’s not the type of assistance you deserve, to be sure. That’s not a professional approach. It’s certainly not what you were paying for, and it may end up costing you a case that you should have won because your attorney made serious errors or overlooked obvious information.
If this happens, it could constitute legal malpractice. Don’t assume that you were just unlucky and that there’s nothing you can do. You may be able to take action, and it is important for you to understand the legal steps you can take as soon as you realize what has happened.