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How exactly to Avoid the 12 Biggest Mistakes People Make in Hiring a Lawyer

I hate to see people cheated and I hate to see people suffer after choosing the wrong lawyer. Maybe those are two of the reason why that I became a lawyer, to ensure that I could do something positive about those situations. I have seen clients who'd lawyers neglect their cases for not merely weeks but years. I've heard complaints about lawyers who'd not tell the client the thing that was going up with their cases, but would bill the client once the client called to ask the thing that was happening. I've heard complaints about lawyers who took money from clients with out a clear understanding of the expectations on either side.

I also hate to own to clean up chaos made by another lawyer. It is much easier to aid a client and avoid potential problems than it is to repair damage from choosing the wrong lawyer. I have seen poorly drafted prenuptial agreements and separation agreements. I have experienced to step in to repair and finish a botched annulment. I have experienced to step in to repair and finish a botched divorce.

One woman's tale of woe especially concerns mind. Around work, we call her story "The Tale of the Nine Year Divorce." She'd hired an attorney to defend a divorce action within Virginia and to counter sue for divorce. She was living out of state during the time and paid the attorney a substantial retainer. There is no written contract. The lawyer she had chosen seemed to be afraid of the opposing counsel and did nothing to go the case forward. Actually, the lawyer allowed the case to be dismissed from the court docket for inaction.

Cases are not dismissed with this basis without prior notice to counsel of record. The lawyer did not notify his client of the potential dismissal. It wasn't before the court notified her of the dismissal that she found out what had happened. The client was within an car accident, as a result of which she was hospitalized and undergoing multiple surgeries. She trusted her lawyer to look out for her interests; she did not know or know what should have been taking place and had no idea until she received notification from the court that the case have been dismissed.

Once the client contacted the lawyer, he had the case reinstated. However, it wasn't before the opposing attorney withdrew from the case, that the Business Insurance attorney lawyer acted to put forward the interests of his client. Meanwhile, the lawyer allowed the woman's husband to abscond, fleeing the jurisdiction of the court, with the bulk of the marital assets. The lawyer did get an order of spousal support, but did nothing effective to gather or enforce the spousal support order from the defendant who was simply not paying.

Actually, the lawyer allowed countless amounts of dollars of arrears to accumulate. Meanwhile, the lawyer asked for and got a court award of $10,000 of attorney's fees from the absconded husband. Once the lawyer seen that the husband had spent the cash and the attorney fee award wouldn't be easily collected, he began to demand money from the client. Being disabled and lacking received a dime of the support award, she was struggling to pay the lawyer and he withdrew from her case at the final hearing. Needless to say this left the woman with a poor taste in her mouth when it comes to lawyers.

The lady learned about me and came in my experience despite having had a poor experience, because she was in need of help. We were able to wind up the divorce and property division, which have been started 9-10 years prior and we began enforcement of the support award by attaching social security and retirement income due her husband.

Through our efforts collection began and an income stream started to flow to the client. We were also able to successfully defend the woman from an endeavor by her husband to prevent support payments and at the same time frame recover a few of the items of personal property which have been awarded to her by the court. The lady still had to defend herself from a law suit brought by the lawyer who was simply demanding over $10,000 and had not credited the retainer which the woman paid at the start of the representation.

I've written this information in hopes that it could allow you to steer clear of the costly mistakes of the Nine Year Divorce. You will find two areas where people make mistakes. The first area is in selecting the lawyer and the 2nd area is mistakes made after selecting the lawyer.