When you hire an attorney, you expect them to do everything in their power to help you and your legal case. Many legal cases are lost for justifiable reasons, but others are lost due to the conduct of negligent attorneys.
Some questionable actions an attorney makes may not be considered legal malpractice. To better understand if your attorney was negligent and caused you harm in ways that may be legally actionable, consider the following.
1. Misrepresenting statements
Misrepresentation can occur when a statement is falsified and a party’s belief in said statement alters their decision and causes them damages. For example, an attorney may misrepresent laws to encourage their client to make risky actions, only for the client to realize that the statement was untrue.
2. Missing deadlines
Everyone is prone to a bit of procrastination every now and again, yet, in most cases, this doesn’t harm anyone. If an attorney, however, misses a deadline to file a claim, there could be serious harm done to a client’s case. Many legal claims are bound by a statute of limitations, meaning that they must be made within a limited amount of time.
3. Taking a case without knowledge
Most attorneys specialize in a few special areas of the law and branching out can create issues. Many new attorneys are looking to make a name for themselves and, thus, will take on just about any sort of legal issue. If they take a claim that they have no knowledge or experience in, then they could – predictably – lose a case.
4. Lacking facts
Like knowledge and experience in the law, attorneys need to know facts relating to their client and other information pertaining to a case. That being said, an attorney who doesn’t have enough facts may not accurately represent their client. Because of this, an attorney could make crucial mistakes that could have otherwise been avoided.
5. Failing to communicate
Like working with a real estate agent or doctor, communication is key when working with an attorney. However, if an attorney isn’t quick to respond to communication from you or others involved in a legal situation, then that could create issues in a case. Similarly, if they don’t communicate vital information to you that could impact your ability to make critical decisions about your options, this could be an actionable scenario.
If you believe you were damaged by legal malpractice, take time to understand your legal options. That way, you’ll be empowered to make informed decisions about your next steps.