what if the attorney doesn't file the motion

by Prof. Hershel Orn 5 min read

If your attorney fails to file the motion for discharge, then your case will be closed without a discharge. Which means that it's like the bankruptcy never happened, you'd still owe your creditors the full amount, etc.

If your lawyer fails to file such a motion, there is no penalty other than the cost and delay of a potentially unnecessary trial. However, if an opposing party files a summary judgment motion against you, your lawyer must file a written response within the time set by court rules or by the trial judge.

Full Answer

How to file a motion in court without an attorney?

Part 2 Part 2 of 2: Filing the Motion Download Article

  1. Assemble and copy your motion. If you have any attachments to put with the motion, put those attachments behind your motion.
  2. File your motion. Take the original motion with all attachments to the clerk of the court that is hearing your case and give it to him.
  3. Schedule your hearing. While at the clerk's office, ask for a hearing date. ...
  4. Serve your motion. ...

How to petition the court without an attorney?

Part 2 Part 2 of 4: Submitting Your Petition to the Court Download Article

  1. Make photocopies of your signed forms. Most courts require you to bring at least 2 photocopies of every form you file with the court.
  2. Contact the clerk's office before you bring in your petition. When you file your petition, you'll need to pay a filing fee.
  3. Take your forms and copies to the clerk's office. ...
  4. Pay your filing fee or apply for a waiver. ...

More items...

How do I file a court appeal without a lawyer?

  • A caption containing the names of the parties in the upper left-hand corner,
  • The word " COMPLAINT " immediately below the caption,
  • A statement of jurisdiction and venue ( Explain)
  • A statement of facts
  • A statement of the claim
  • The remedy requested
  • The words " JURY DEMANDED " if the party wants the case decided by a jury trial

More items...

Can I get a court order without a lawyer?

The initial document a person must file to begin a legal case is called a complaint or petition. In many states, it is possible for a lay person to fill out the court form herself without hiring an attorney. This is easiest in states that offer assistance and instructions for individuals filing on their own. What Is a Petition?

What happens if my attorney fails to file a motion for discharge?

What happens if you don't follow proper procedure?

How long does it take to get discharged from a debtor in California?

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What is it called when a lawyer doesn't do his job?

Legal malpractice is a type of negligence in which a lawyer does harm to his or her client. Typically, this concerns lawyers acting in their own interests, lawyers breaching their contract with the client, and, one of the most common cases of legal malpractice, is when lawyers fail to act on time for clients.

What do you do when a lawyer doesn't respond?

If your lawyer does not return your call, send them a letter and keep a copy. In the letter, describe what is bothering you and what you need. Suggest meeting with the lawyer face-to-face.

What is the most common complaint against lawyers?

Perhaps the most common kinds of complaints against lawyers involve delay or neglect. This doesn't mean that occasionally you've had to wait for a phone call to be returned. It means there has been a pattern of the lawyer's failing to respond or to take action over a period of months.

What should you not say to a lawyer?

9 Taboo Sayings You Should Never Tell Your LawyerI forgot I had an appointment. ... I didn't bring the documents related to my case. ... I have already done some of the work for you. ... My case will be easy money for you. ... I have already spoken with 5 other lawyers. ... Other lawyers don't have my best interests at heart.More items...•

Why do lawyers drag out cases?

Their goal is to drag the case on and pay out as little as possible. This earns more money for the attorney, who gets paid by the hour, and also can help frustrate the plaintiff into making a better settlement for them out of desperation.

Is it normal to not hear from your lawyer?

Throughout the process of getting your financial settlement after becoming injured, there may be periods of time that you do not hear from your attorney. Although this can be unnerving, it is a normal part of the legal process.

How do lawyers get disciplined?

[1] Lawyers are subject to discipline when they violate or attempt to violate the Rules of Professional Conduct, knowingly assist or induce another to do so or do so through the acts of another, as when they request or instruct an agent to do so on the lawyer's behalf.

Can you sue your lawyer?

To sue lawyer for negligence, you need to be able to prove the attorney didn't use the proper care in your case and missed a deadline, filed the wrong papers, didn't comply with court orders, or made other errors that were not intentional but were sloppy.

How do you write a grievance letter to an attorney?

Formal complaint against [name of lawyer or law firm] My complaint is that they failed to provide me with a satisfactory service when … describe what the lawyer had been hired to do for you [for example dealing with the sale or purchase of a house] • say when this was [give the date or dates when the problem occurred].

How often should I hear from my attorney?

You should never be afraid or feel like an intrusion to contact your attorney every three weeks or so, or more frequently if there is a lot going on with your health or other matters related to your legal case. There is of course a limit to how much you should be contacting or sharing.

Should you tell your lawyer everything?

It's almost always advisable to tell your lawyer the whole truth about your case, even if you've committed a crime. Giving your lawyer all the facts helps them craft the best defense by raising reasonable doubt. Even when a client admits guilt, there are usually many mitigating circumstances that can come into play.

What is the first meeting with a lawyer called?

legal consultationA legal consultation is the initial meeting between a potential lawyer and client. These meetings allow the client to discuss their case with an attorney. Then, the attorney can give an overview of their recommended course of action.

How quickly should a lawyer respond?

A: The lawyer should be responsive to your questions within 24-48 hours after you left a message. If the lawyer is not responsive, perhaps he or she is on vacation and unable to return.

How often should I hear from my lawyer?

You should never be afraid or feel like an intrusion to contact your attorney every three weeks or so, or more frequently if there is a lot going on with your health or other matters related to your legal case. There is of course a limit to how much you should be contacting or sharing.

What is inadequate legal representation?

Inadequate representation can be grounds for an appeal If your attorney made significant breaches in their duty to you, like failing to show up for court, not knowing legal precedent related to your case or failing to advocate for you, that could give you grounds for an appeal.

What happens if my attorney fails to file a motion for discharge?

If your attorney fails to file the motion for discharge, then your case will be closed without a discharge. Which means that it's like the bankruptcy never happened, you'd still owe your creditors the full amount, etc.

What happens if you don't follow proper procedure?

See your attorney, anticipate having to pay or hire a new attorney. You are too far invested to risk losing your investment in the process.

How long does it take to get discharged from a debtor in California?

From the date when the last plan payment is made to the date when a case receives discharge and is officially closed can take about 3-4 months. In our jurisdiction, there are a few things that must happen before a discharge can be granted. The Trustee files an accounting report. After that is done, and not before, the debtor or debtor's attorney files a form called "Chapter 13 Individual Debtor's Certifications Regarding Domestic Support Obligations, Section 522 (q) & Eligibility for Discharge" the form can be obtained on the court's website (this is for southern district if you're in a different court - check their website). http://www.casb.uscourts.gov/html/individual_forms.htm it is form CSD 2120. By the way, the fees you paid to your attorney included compensation for taking care of this for you. This form must be filed ONLY AFTER the Trustee files their official accounting report with the court. It's not the notice/letter you receive, it's an actual form filed by the Trustee with the court. If you don't know if this was done yet, you can do a case lookup on www.pacer.gov and check the docket to see what has been filed and when. Also, importantly, you must file, if you haven't already your Certificate of Completing the Financial Management Course AND a signed B23 form. I have my clients actually take care of this at the start of the case so that it is completed and one less thing to worry about and besides some people find the course useful for budgeting purposes while they are in the plan payments mode. If your attorney has abandoned you completely of course you can file a complaint with the state bar, you can file an attorney substitution form, you could mention what is happening to the Trustee's office and maybe you could take care of these two things yourself because they are not terribly complicated, the hard part is done. You can pull the forms down from the court's website and deliver them filled out and signed to the court's clerk. If however your attorney has not abandoned you, let him/her do the work. Some clients get very excited after the last payment and they want the discharge and case closed immediately so they are somewhat disappointed to learn that it takes a bit of time. I have to ask them to be patient and assure them that I haven't forgotten about them. If this tasks are not completed, the case will close without discharge. Although all is not lost. You would incur some filing fee and stamp expenses in reopening the case so that you can take care of these items and get the discharge you deserve. Congratulations on completing the plan payments. I'm sure it's a big relief and hope better things are in store ahead. Take care.

Mark Markus

If your lawyer is not returning your calls or responsive to you, you picked the wrong attorney. You should continue to try to get hold of him, but I would send him a letter giving him a specific date by which to respond and tell you exactly what he intends to do to remedy the situation.

Scott L Greeves

A prominent BK attorney recently died named Joseph McDaniel. If he was your lawyer, you should contact the State Bar at 602.252.4804 Otherwise, hire a new lawyer.

Thomas John Cesta

Improperly filed schedules or statements can cause a dismissal; but if the documents are filed properly and a motion to reinstate is filed soon, then this should be easy to fix. You do not have a lot of time to get this fixed, so if the problem happened within...

Dorothy G Bunce

Talk to your lawyer to see what s/he is willing to do to resolve the problem. I find it hard to believe that the case was dismissed simply because the formatting on the creditor matrix didn't conform to the local rules. Hope this perspcctive helps!

What happens if my lawyer fails to file a motion for summary judgment?

If your lawyer fails to file such a motion, there is no penalty other than the cost and delay of a potentially unnecessary trial. However, if an opposing party files a summary judgment motion against you, your lawyer must file a written response within the time set by court rules or by the trial judge.

What happens if a lawyer fails to file documents?

The consequences of a lawyer’s failure to file documents on time can be severe. Not only can you suffer a financial loss, but you may have to wait a year or more before you receive compensation from the lawyer who failed to properly represent you. If you believe you have a case against a former lawyer, you should reach out to an experienced, full-service law firm with expertise in a wide range of legal practice areas and a proven track record of success.

How to recover for malpractice?

To recover for malpractice, in addition to showing that your lawyer breached a duty owed to you by failing to file, you will also need to convince the court hearing your malpractice case that it was the lawyer’s failure to file—not any failure on your part or weakness in your case—that caused the har m you sustained .

What is legal malpractice?

Legal Malpractice. Much of the work lawyers do involves filing various documents. Often, there are deadlines by which documents must be filed. Even when there are no fixed deadlines, a lawyer’s delay in filing certain documents can permanently impair a client’s rights. You might wonder why a simple failure to file a document “on time” could destroy ...

How long does a tort claim have to be filed in Ohio?

However, some tort claims—notably legal and medical malpractice—have shorter, one-year time limits for filing.

Why do you need to file documents for public record?

Filing in a timely manner may be necessary to protect a person’s interest in a residential or commercial lease. Filing may also be necessary to protect a person’s or entity’s interest in an oil and gas lease, or in the oil and gas beneath a property.

How long do you have to appeal a judgment?

However, your lawyer must file a notice of appeal within 30 days after the judgment is final. Failure to appeal within 30 days terminates your right to appeal, regardless of how strong your case may be.

justblue Well-Known Member

I have a felony criminal case pending and it is completely bogus. No crime was committed and the prosecutors are either intentionally framing what I have done as a crime or they are just really really stupid.

justblue Well-Known Member

Impersonation and identity theft. they are claiming that an online discussion page I made about someone is not a free speech protected discussion page but actually an IMPERSONATION page. That i'm pretending to be the person I am talking about instead of being a discussion page about them and related topics.

army judge Super Moderator

I wanted him to file a motion to dismiss due to lack of personal jurisdiction.

cbg Super Moderator

If you are looking for a law you can invoke by which you can force the lawyer to act as you want him to, there isn't one.

Zigner Well-Known Member

my question is not whether I can make a motion for personal jurisdiction. I know I can. My attorney says I can. He just doesn't want to file it until after the preliminary hearing.

justblue Well-Known Member

my question is not whether I can make a motion for personal jurisdiction. I know I can. My attorney says I can. He just doesn't want to file it until after the preliminary hearing.

justblue Well-Known Member

I have decided to represent myself pro se in criminal court in california.

What to do after time has passed on a motion?

After some time has passed, or when there is urgency to your motion, you may need to take some extraordinary measures to get a ruling on your motion. This may mean going to the reviewing court (the state court of appeals) for help.

What is a Motion?

Motions are written requests by a party to a lawsuit asking a Judge to make a specified ruling or Order related to an issue. For example, a slip and fall victim as a “party plaintiff” can “move” to have the court issue an order requiring the defendant turn over any video surveillance of the slip and fall.

What are motions in slip and fall?

During the course of a slip and fall lawsuit in Florida, a variety of requests (usually in the form of “Motions”) will be made to the Judge pertaining to things like hearings, discovery and the entry of a judgment. Motions must be made in writing and they must follow certain criteria, including things like notice requirements.

What is the Florida Rule of Civil Procedure 1.510?

Florida Rule of Civil Procedure 1.510 governs this type of request. Under the rule, the Judge is instructed that a judgment must be rendered immediately “…if the pleadings and summary judgment evidence on file show that there is no genuine issue as to any material fact and that the moving party is entitled to a judgment as a matter of law.”

Why is it so hard to get a Writ of Mandamus?

This is because your burden is high: you must establish that the Judge has failed to follow his or her duty to rule on your Motion.

How is a motion official?

The judge’s decision on a Motion is official once it is documented through a written order signed by the judge with copies provided to all parties.

How to check the status of a lawsuit in a tri county?

The status of all civil lawsuits filed in the tri-county area can be checked by reviewing the online databases maintained by the clerk’s office. For example, a slip and fall victim may review the status of his or her case at:

What happens if you fail to support a motion?

If you fail to support your motion with a memorandum of points and authorities, the court could deny the motion because you have implicitly admitted there is no basis for it. (EDCR 2.20 (c); JCRLV 11 (a).)

What happens if you lose a motion?

Motions are powerful tools, but they’re tricky. Winning a motion might win the entire case for you! But losing a motion could result in a money judgment against you. Click to visit Lawyers and Legal Help.

What is a notice of motion?

The “notice of motion” is where the court clerk inserts the date, time, and place the motion will be heard by the judge. When you “serve” (mail) the motion to the other side, the notice notifies the other side when the hearing will be held.

How long do you have to respond to an opposition?

If you are in the district court, you can file and serve a reply any time up to five business days before the hearing date. (EDCR 2.20 (h).)

What is a motion in civil court?

A “motion” is a written request to the judge that asks for a ruling on some issue in the case. (NRCP 7 (b); JCRCP 7 (b).) 1.

How long does it take to respond to a court case?

If your case is in justice court, you can file and serve a reply within five business days after you receive the other side’s opposition (plus three extra calendar days if you receive the opposition by mail). (JCRLV 11 (c); RJCR 9 (4).)

What evidence is needed to support a motion?

Your evidence could be a contract, photographs, e-mails between the parties, or any other document that supports your position.

What happens if my attorney fails to file a motion for discharge?

If your attorney fails to file the motion for discharge, then your case will be closed without a discharge. Which means that it's like the bankruptcy never happened, you'd still owe your creditors the full amount, etc.

What happens if you don't follow proper procedure?

See your attorney, anticipate having to pay or hire a new attorney. You are too far invested to risk losing your investment in the process.

How long does it take to get discharged from a debtor in California?

From the date when the last plan payment is made to the date when a case receives discharge and is officially closed can take about 3-4 months. In our jurisdiction, there are a few things that must happen before a discharge can be granted. The Trustee files an accounting report. After that is done, and not before, the debtor or debtor's attorney files a form called "Chapter 13 Individual Debtor's Certifications Regarding Domestic Support Obligations, Section 522 (q) & Eligibility for Discharge" the form can be obtained on the court's website (this is for southern district if you're in a different court - check their website). http://www.casb.uscourts.gov/html/individual_forms.htm it is form CSD 2120. By the way, the fees you paid to your attorney included compensation for taking care of this for you. This form must be filed ONLY AFTER the Trustee files their official accounting report with the court. It's not the notice/letter you receive, it's an actual form filed by the Trustee with the court. If you don't know if this was done yet, you can do a case lookup on www.pacer.gov and check the docket to see what has been filed and when. Also, importantly, you must file, if you haven't already your Certificate of Completing the Financial Management Course AND a signed B23 form. I have my clients actually take care of this at the start of the case so that it is completed and one less thing to worry about and besides some people find the course useful for budgeting purposes while they are in the plan payments mode. If your attorney has abandoned you completely of course you can file a complaint with the state bar, you can file an attorney substitution form, you could mention what is happening to the Trustee's office and maybe you could take care of these two things yourself because they are not terribly complicated, the hard part is done. You can pull the forms down from the court's website and deliver them filled out and signed to the court's clerk. If however your attorney has not abandoned you, let him/her do the work. Some clients get very excited after the last payment and they want the discharge and case closed immediately so they are somewhat disappointed to learn that it takes a bit of time. I have to ask them to be patient and assure them that I haven't forgotten about them. If this tasks are not completed, the case will close without discharge. Although all is not lost. You would incur some filing fee and stamp expenses in reopening the case so that you can take care of these items and get the discharge you deserve. Congratulations on completing the plan payments. I'm sure it's a big relief and hope better things are in store ahead. Take care.

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