Working With A Great Lawyer

Warning Signs Of A Dishonest Lawyer

10 August 2021

Dianne Ellis

You turn to a lawyer when you find yourself in conflict with the legal professional. However, when your lawyer is acting in a dishonest way, you might not even realize it unless you are aware of these common red flags.

Lack of Communication

One of the most common ways to determine if a lawyer is being dishonest is a lack of communication. Even if your attorney is very busy, a lack of communication often leads to mistakes occurring. However, a lack of communication can also be a sign that your lawyer is being dishonest.

The Lawyer Guarantees a Win

Even if the facts are on your side, no legal claim is guaranteed to be successful. If you are not sure, you should consider consulting with another attorney so you can hear a different opinion. 

The Lawyer Has Previously Been Disciplined

If your lawyer has been disciplined in the past, this can be a warning sign that your lawyer might be dishonest since habits can be difficult to break. If your lawyer was disciplined, this will be a part of the public record.

In some cases, your lawyer might not necessarily be dishonest but is simply being incompetent. However, a lawyer who is incompetent will still need to be disciplined if they are not able to represent you professionally.

How to Discipline Your Lawyer

If you believe that your lawyer is being dishonest, there are steps you can take to discipline your lawyer by using a lawyer disciplinary complaint form. When your lawyer has been found to have done something wrong, they will usually be reprimanded, fined, and might even be disbarred. 

The agency cannot assist you in recovering your attorney fees or make your lawyer pay for any losses that they have suffered. However, you will be able to hold your attorney accountable and reduce the odds that your lawyer will act this way in the future.

Firing Your Lawyer

You are allowed to fire your lawyer at any time and hire someone else to represent you. It might be more expensive to fire a lawyer, but this might be worthwhile if your attorney is dishonest. All of the documents that are related to your case belong to you and you should feel free to ask for them. However, for files that your lawyer has worked a lot on, they are free to ask for compensation before releasing the file.

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