The subject of legal malpractice is a tricky one. Naturally, simply losing a case does not mean your lawyer did anything wrong or did not offer proper legal assistance. Someone has to lose. It may have happened for legitimate reasons.
At the same time, though, there are definitely cases where people assume they’re going to win with ease, and they should have been right — but their legal team made critical errors and cost them the case. You should be able to expect your lawyer to give you high-caliber assistance and to avoid clear and obvious errors that could drastically harm you and your future.
What mistakes have you seen in how your case was handled?
To identify mistakes, you need to know what to look for and what people often complain about when hiring inadequate legal council. Some errors could include things like:
- Missing deadlines to file paperwork
- Never returning your calls
- Making misleading statements about experience and qualifications
- Losing or misplacing key evidence
- Filling out forms incorrectly
- Breaking the rules about client confidentiality
- Not showing up or arriving late for court dates
As you can see, these are issues that go beyond the case. It’s one thing to lose because the opposition had a stronger position than you. It’s quite another to lose because your main evidence was lost or because your lawyer missed a deadline and reduced the number of legal options at your disposal.
People certainly make mistakes in all professions, and lawyers are only human. However, this is a profession where people are held to a bit higher standard. The mistake doesn’t just impact the lawyer, but can change the client’s life. That’s why lawyers need to take extra care not to make these errors when they agree to take on complex cases with serious ramifications.
What options do you have?
If you feel like you were the victim of legal malpractice, you need to know what steps to take. There are many potential legal options as you seek to set things right. Don’t just assume that it’s bad luck. Learn what you can do next.