what if you hire a personal injury attorney and decide to switch lawyers

Yes, you can switch personal injury lawyers in most cases. Generally, you have the right to choose what attorney you want to represent you. If you change your mind about who you want to be your lawyer, you can switch and get a new lawyer.

Full Answer

Can I switch lawyers in a personal injury case?

Nov 02, 2019 · By Page Pate | November 2, 2019. Yes! You always have the right to chose your lawyer, even in the middle of a case. And switching lawyers is not hard. In fact, it happens all the time. In almost every case, switching lawyers costs the client nothing and can help the client get the best result. One of the most common reasons people switch lawyers is because their …

Can you switch lawyers at anytime?

Yes, you can switch personal injury lawyers in most cases. Generally, you have the right to choose what attorney you want to represent you. If you change your mind about who you want to be your lawyer, you can switch and get a new lawyer. There are some limitations on your right to change lawyers. But usually, you can switch lawyers at any stage of your case. Why Do People …

Should I Change my Lawyer?

It's possible that a new attorney will do no better than your old attorney, and the switch could cost you time and money. Making the Change Once you have considered these issues, changing attorneys for your case becomes a matter of your judgment. There are a few important steps you should take at this point.

Should I hire a new lawyer?

A fairly common case that gets put to a judge is when client hires Lawyer A on a contingency fee and Lawyer gets an offer and advises the client to take it. For example, the offer is $50,000. Client thinks the case is worth more and fires Lawyer A and hires Lawyer B who after some work gets the case settled for $100,000.

How to choose a lawyer?

Choosing a lawyer is a crucial step in the resolution of your legal matter. Whether you are a plaintiff or a defendant, or merely a party looking for counsel, the right lawyer is key. But like all relationships, the lawyer-client relationship does not always last forever. Common problems that clients report with attorneys include: 1 Poor results. The lawyer is simply not achieving the results you were led to believe he or she could achieve. 2 Bad communication. The lawyer is not communicating about crucial legal matters and decisions, leaving you uncertain of where your matter is or what's expected of you. 3 Lack of professionalism. The lawyer perhaps arrives late to meetings, doesn't remember key facts about the case, cannot find documents already provided by the client, and even forgets to submit documents by key deadlines.

Why is it important to choose a lawyer?

Choosing a lawyer is a crucial step in the resolution of your legal matter. Whether you are a plaintiff or a defendant, or merely a party looking for counsel, the right lawyer is key. But like all relationships, the lawyer-client relationship does not always last forever.

What are the bad things about lawyers?

Bad communication. The lawyer is not communicating about crucial legal matters and decisions, leaving you uncertain of where your matter is or what's expected of you. Lack of professionalism.

Should You Fire Your Lawyer and How Does That Work?

In certain cases a client should quickly fire a newly hired lawyer. For example, if the tow truck driver who came after the client's car was wrecked pitches a certain lawyer, or someone else at the accident scene or close to the accident pitches a lawyer, it may mean that the lawyer is unethically and illegally paying for clients.

Practical Problems When Switching Lawyers

As a practical matter there are a number of problems to switching lawyers, especially if considerable time has gone by after hiring the lawyer.

How to Fire Your Injury Lawyer in the First Month

The law says that an personal injury attorney is entitled to be paid for the value of the work they did unless there is an offer on the table. In the first month, it is unlikely there will be an offer so you will only owe the lawyer money based on the amount of time they spent working on your case. In month 1, that amount is very small.

You Have a Low Offer and Want to Fire Your Car Accident Lawyer

Once an offer is made by the car insurance company, the lawyer’s contract will provide that they are entitled to their fee no matter what. You cannot fire the lawyer and accept the offer because they will assert an attorney’s lien with the insurance company. In this situation, it is difficult to get another injury lawyer involved.

Sample Questions From the Web

Caller: My son just signed a contract to retain a lawyer to handle his slight injury in a car accident. but now my son does not want to go through with it because something about the attorney does not feel right. He just signed the contract about 1 hr ago so can he just send him a fax or email firing him?

What to do if you still think the relationship is unsalvageable?

If you still think the relationship is unsalvageable, it might be time to terminate the engagement and switch to a new attorney. However, there are a few issues to keep in mind:

Should I run my attorney's name through the bar association?

You hopefully ran your attorney's name through the website of your state's bar association before hiring him or her, but now might be a good time to do so again. Even if your attorney is in good standing now, any past suspensions or other disciplinary actions for issues like substance abuse or misuse of client funds should give you pause.

What to do if you get injured?

If you’re injured, it’s worth consulting a lawyer as soon as you can. Even if it’s minor. Don’t expect insurance companies to look out for your best interests. They don’t want to pay out money.

What is contingency fee?

Most injury lawyers charge by way of a contingency fee. A contingency fee is where the lawyer is paid a percentage of the money you get. This is actually a very good arrangement for both lawyer and client. It’s good for the client because it spares them from having to pay up front (most people don’t have that kind of money). It also results in both lawyer and client having the same interest in the outcome (i.e. obtain the most money possible).

Is an injury lawyer a good marketer?

Some injury lawyers are very good marketers. They attract a lot of clients, but just because a lawyer is very good at marketing and does a lot of it doesn’t mean they’re the best for the case.

Is it normal to meet a lawyer for a free consultation?

Just because you meet a lawyer for a free consultation, doesn’t mean you’re under an obligation to hire them. You can shop around and get a few opinions. This is perfectly normal.

Can a lawyer tell you what will happen?

At no point no lawyer can tell you what will happen with the case. They can speculate or give you their best advice, but they can’t guarantee anything. For example, they can’t guarantee that you’ll get such and such amount of money or that your case will be concluded by such and such a date. Even if a trial is scheduled, sometimes trials are rescheduled or it could be appealed after trial.

Can you have a free consultation with an injury lawyer?

For injury cases, you should have no problem finding lawyers who will meet with you to discuss the case for a free consultation. This typically applies only to injury law. In other areas of law, such as family lawy, don’t be surprised if you need to pay a consultation fee.

What Causes People To Be Unhappy With Their Attorney?

Most often, they complain that they can never get to speak to the lawyer handling their case. They get to speak only to a secretary, a receptionist or a paralegal.

What Should You Do Before Hiring A Lawyer To Represent You In A Personal Injury Case?

First, regardless of how you are referred to this lawyer, get the following information from the lawyer when you first meet him or her. Do not be afraid to ask the following questions:

Steps To Take When Switching Attorneys Mid-Case

There is nothing that prevents people involved in personal injury cases from switching attorneys. It’s actually a very simple process.

Still Have Questions? Reach Out Today

If you or a loved one was injured and needs legal assistance, call Jaroslawicz & Jaros at 917-842-9544 or submit an online questionnaire. The initial consultation is free of charge, and if we agree to handle your case, we will work on a contingency fee basis, which means we get paid for our services only if there is a monetary recovery.