Florida Divorce Lawyer Discusses How To Handle Conflicts With Your Divorce Attorney
If you are not happy with your divorce attorney, there are some things you should do, and some things you should not do.
First, since your attorney has already taken your case and become involved in the details, and you have already paid a lot of money, you should try to work things out with that attorney, if possible. Many attorneys do a good job on the actual work of the divorce, but they do a poor job keeping their clients informed on the status of the case. Let your attorney know in writing that you are not happy and what you expect going forward.
If it is absolutely not possible for you to work things out with your attorney – maybe your divorce attorney is refusing to communicate with you, has not started on your case, or there is a serious personality conflict – you need to take action. First, you need to find another attorney. Once you find that attorney, he or she can communicate with your prior attorney to terminate the relationship. You should also seek to recover your money, if the attorney accepted a retainer but did not do a sufficient amount of work on the case. If your attorney has acted wrongfully, you should also let the state bar know by filing a complaint.
One thing you may not want to do is to leave extremely negative online reviews about the attorney. Recently, a Florida appellate court upheld a $350,000 damage award to a Florida attorney whose client posted a defamatory review about the lawyer on several online review sites. The clients who posted the reviews were not truthful in some of their complaints, but you should be wary of saying too much online even if your complaints are valid.
If your current divorce attorney is not meeting your needs, you are probably reluctant to hire another attorney, and understandably so. However, in order to get your divorce moving along in a timely fashion, you should find another attorney. If you are in Pasco, Hernando, Pinellas and Hillsborough Counties, call Florida divorce attorney Dale Bernstein at 727-478-3250. He can provide you with a consultation on your case. Call today to learn more.