What Happens if My Attorney Stopped Working on My Case?
Posted June 15th, 2022.
Categories: Legal Malpractice.
If your attorney stopped working on your case without your knowledge or consent, this is a sign of negligent behavior. It is important that you understand your options in this situation, one of them being to file a legal malpractice claim. Read on to discover how a seasoned New Jersey legal malpractice attorney at The Law Offices of Mark S. Guralnick can help you hold the attorney in question accountable for their actions.
Is it considered legal malpractice if my attorney stopped working on my case?
Signs that may indicate that your attorney stopped working on your case are if they stop taking your calls or returning your emails. By law, an attorney has an obligation to keep you, the client, informed and updated with any new information regarding your case. So if your attorney fails to follow through with your case, and also intentionally neglects to notify you, you may be eligible to file a legal malpractice claim.
But before you jump to any conclusions, you must ensure that your attorney indeed stopped working on your case altogether. This is important because having poor communication alone is not grounds for a legal malpractice claim. To confirm your attorney’s discarding of your case, you should attempt the following:
- Call your attorney’s office: Ask to speak to a receptionist, paralegal, or even another attorney in the office that may be able to help you get in touch with your attorney or deliver your message.
- Write a letter: If calls and emails don’t work, write a letter to your attorney that explains that you have made an effort to contact them and that you would like a response. It is recommended that you send the letter certified with a return receipt requested to ensure that your attorney received it.
- Keep track of your efforts to communicate: For calls, make a note of the time, date, and who you spoke to for each call. For emails and letters, save copies.
If it is absolute that your case has been wrongfully terminated, then you can retain the services of one of our knowledgeable attorneys at our legal malpractice law firm located in Cherry Hill.
How do I file a successful legal malpractice claim?
Firstly, you will be required to prove that the attorney in question owed you a fiduciary duty and that they breached that duty of care by negligently stopping the work on your case. You will then have to prove that the breach of care resulted in you losing out on executing a successful case, which ultimately prevented you from being relieved of your damages. Overall, this will show that had you hired a reasonable attorney, your case would have had a different outcome.
Contact our experienced New Jersey firm
If you require the services of a dedicated legal malpractice attorney in New Jersey, please contact The Law Offices of Mark S. Guralnick today for a free consultation.
