Attorneys providing legal advice about civil matters or criminal defense representation are human even though they perform such important work for other people. They can make mistakes just like anyone else. However, their mistakes can potentially have catastrophic consequences for the people or businesses that they represent.
Given how major the impact of an oversight or error could be in the legal profession, attorneys should have safety measures in place to protect against dangerous mistakes and to identify possible errors that could harm their clients’ cases.
When a lawyer makes a mistake that affects their client’s case negatively, they may open themselves up to claims of legal malpractice and possibly even financial liability. A high-profile case recently made the news because of an unbelievable mistake on the part of someone’s lawyer that could constitute legal malpractice.
An attorney sent their client’s digital records to the opposition
Attorneys representing plaintiffs in massive civil lawsuits will often try to influence how the courts view the defendant. They will request access to all kinds of records in the hopes of finding something that will help their cases. When they can make someone seem unreasonable, unstable or unpleasant, that may influence the outcome of the case.
An attorney in a very high-profile civil litigation matter made what many would consider a massive mistake. The attorney for the other side received complete transcripts of the defendant’s phone records and personal text messages. Some people have indicated that this blunder is so major that it could potentially give the defendant grounds to take his lawyer to court on the basis of legal malpractice.
Lawyers should work in the best interest of their clients
When someone hires an attorney, they should be able to trust that their legal representative will uphold their best interests and help them navigate the court system successfully. When you can show that an attorney’s mistake influences the unfavorable outcome of a trial or negotiations with the other party, you may be in a position to appeal the original outcome. You may also have grounds for a legal malpractice claim against the attorney whose mistake negatively affected your legal situation.
Learning more about what constitutes legal malpractice can help those who have received subpar legal support pursue justice and possibly compensation.