5 Signs You Should Get a New Lawyer

If you've ever had to deal with a lawyer, you've probably thought to yourself multiple times whether it's time to change attorneys.

Luckily for you, if there's anything this country doesn't lack, it's attorneys.

Regardless of your legal issue, there may be hundreds of qualified attorneys in your area. It's a buyer's market, and you have the power. So if you're not comfortable with your lawyer, or think he's doing a rotten job, you may want to get a new attorney.

Here are five signs for when you should think about changing attorneys:

1. Messy Office. Appearances aren't everything, but they can be a pretty good indicator. If your lawyer's office consists of piles of papers everywhere, and you can see other client's confidential data lying around, you may want to move on. If your lawyer is sloppy and messy with other client's information, you can bet he'll be sloppy and messy with your case file too.
   
2. Never Remembers You. A lawyer who never remembers you or your case, is a lawyer who's too overworked to handle your case. You shouldn't expect an attorney to remember intimate details of your case, but the attorney should remember your name and the basic details of the case.
   
3. The Only Language Your Attorney Speaks is Legalese. There's no such language as legalese. If you don't understand what your lawyer says, consider changing attorneys. The job of a lawyer is to give you competent advice. Competent advice includes providing advice in an intelligible way.
   
4. Switches Rates. A major sign of an unethical attorney is an attorney who changes his fee and pay arrangements or leaves you guessing how much you have to pay.
   
5. Never Returns Your Calls. Even if your case isn't the most important case for a lawyer, he should still make you feel like it is the most important case he has. If your lawyer never returns your calls or emails, maybe it's time to leave a message telling him that you found a new lawyer.

There's no shortage of attorneys. If you're not happy with your attorney, you may want to think about changing attorneys. Start your search with FindLaw's directory of lawyers.

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