My Lawyer Won’t Call Me Back, Can I Fire Him?

Being mad at your attorney is frustrating. When you don’t think your attorney is helping you, we recommend you pick up the phone and demand to speak to the attorney in charge of your case. Not the case manager or the paralegal. Our personal injury and criminal defense lawyers know that when a client (or potential client) wants to talk to them, they better pick up the phone. Here are some tips written by the attorney Cade Parian on how to deal with the most common issues that come up between attorneys and clients.

What to Do if Your Lawyer Isn’t Calling You Back

Your lawyer is responsible for communicating with his or her clients. If your attorney is not calling you back or is hard to reach, there are steps you can take.

• Blow up the telephones – Tell the person who answers how many times you have called and not received a response. Be polite though. Kindness kills.
• Ask for an in-person appointment with your lawyer to talk about your concerns. Clearly explain to your attorney what you need from them. Keep your expectations real though. Legal cases move at a mind-numbingly slow pace. Most of the time, that is not your lawyer’s fault.
• To add on top of how slow things move in the legal system, you cannot expect to hear from your attorney on a daily basis (or many times even a weekly basis). Why? Nothing will have happened.
• If your attorney will not take the time to meet with you, you have the wrong lawyer. You control the relationship. You can fire your lawyer anytime. 

How Can I Tell if My Lawyer is Doing a Good Job?

It is hard to know whether your lawyer is doing a good job. The most important thing to stay on top of is whether a lawsuit is filed for your injuries before the statute of limitations expires. In Georgia, in most cases, a lawsuit must be filed within two years of the accident causing your injuries. There are exceptions, but two years is a good timeline to have in your head. Here are some other things you can do to investigate whether your lawyer is doing a good job.

• Get in touch with your attorney and tell him or her your issues. Not the case manager. Not the paralegal. The attorney. Have the attorney explain to you what has been done on your case.
• Obtain a copy of your file. You can either read it in your lawyer’s office or get an actual copy to read for yourself. If your lawyer refuses to let you review your file, you have the wrong lawyer.
• Finally, there is nothing wrong or illegal about getting a second opinion.

Law firms are not all the same. In a lot of personal injury law firms, you are one of thousands of clients. A piece of the mill. That is not how it works at Parian Injury Law. Our lawyers are skilled at being brutally honest with potential clients about their claims. No-nonsense is our approach to solving problems and dealing with clients.