Can I Switch My Lawyer after He has Filed a Lawsuit?

What does California law say about switching lawyers in the middle of a case? Consider the following:

• CCP§284 – states that a lawyer can be changed at any time during the process of an injury claim. To be able to switch a lawyer, both parties – the client and the lawyer – must consent to the change, or a court order must be issed.
• CCP§285 – states that all parties should receive a written notice of the substitution of a lawyer, including the attorney being replaced and the court (if the lawsuit has already been filed)

If you would like to learn more about how your right to switch your lawyer is supported by state laws, do not hesitate to seek legal assistance at your earliest convenience. Our lawyers will help you gain a thorough understanding of your right to switch lawyers and get better representation.

Can you switch your lawyer in a car accident case? Yes, you can. Can you switch your lawyer in a slip and fall case? Yes, you can. You can switch your lawyer in any injury case – even if your lawyer has already filed the lawsuit. As mentioned above, your right to switch attorneys during a personal injury claim is protected by state laws. You can verify your right to switch attorneys by simply reviewing your retainer agreement.

You signed a retainer agreement when you originally hired your current lawyer. Somewhere in this agreement, you should find a discharge section. Typically, the discharge sections of retainer agreements summarize the client’s right to discharge the attorney at any time. This section includes essential information surrounding paying the lawyer after a discharge.

In most situations, lawyers get paid at the end of the legal process – after you’ve been awarded compensation for your claim, for instance. If you fire your attorney, you will be financially responsible for all legal expenses up to the point of discharge.

After the discharge of an attorney, all legal fees become immediately due. Some attorneys might place a lien on any future monetary compensation resulting from a successful claim. The attorneys not working on contingency might be willing to create payment plans to help claimants pay for their fees within a reasonable length of time.

All this information should be available in your retainer agreement. If you fail to have a thorough understanding of the terms that could apply upon discharging your attorney, you might be unpleasantly surprised after you switch lawyers. Because of that, it is always best to discuss these details with your lawyer prior to making any decisions.

Although many people think about switching their attorneys, many decide not to take any action to prevent dealing with the “hassle” of doing so. However, changing attorneys is far from being a hassle. If you are unhappy with your attorney and considering the possibility of discharging him or her and hiring someone else, the first thing that you should do is explore your options.

That is, you should do your research into other firms and lawyers. You should contact a number of firms and request to speak with the experts directly to ensure that they have the characteristics that you are looking for and the ability to handle your claim effectively. Most firms offer free second opinions, meaning that claimants can speak to lawyers even if they have already begun the legal process elsewhere.

Once you find an attorney that you feel confident could successfully handle your claim, simply inform them of your desire to hire them and switch out your current lawyer. Your new lawyer will send out the proper notices (to the previous attorney and to the court, if necessary) and finalize the switch.

Although it might seem daunting to fire a lawyer and hire another once a lawsuit has already been filed, it is not impossible. You have the right to competent representation, and you should do everything within your reach to ensure that the lawyer that you choose to handle your claim is equipped to guide you towards a successful outcome.

Downtown L.A. Law Group is a personal injury law firm that is dedicated to helping victims and their families take legal action against the parties and entities liable for the harm suffered. If you were injured in any sort of personal injury accident, you might have grounds to pursue a claim – you might even be eligible to recover monetary compensation. Unfortunately, many victims of personal injury accidents make poor choices in hiring lawyers; these poor choices are usually associated with the desperation of filing a claim immediately. Because of this, many claimants get suck with lawyers who have no business handling their claims; their lawyer’s incompetence significantly affects their claims and the prospective claim outcome.

If you are interested in finding a competent lawyer to handle your personal injury claim and help you recover the compensation that you deserve, you should consider the possibility of choosing a lawyer from Downtown L.A. Law Group. At our firm, our lawyers have many years of experience handling all sorts of claims – always representing the best interests of claimants and their families.

At our firm we offer free legal services, which include free consultations and free second opinions. Our free consultations are designed for those who are just starting the legal process, while our free second opinions are designed for those who are looking for better representation after already starting the legal process. Our personal injury lawyers will be available to answer all your questions as well as to address all your concerns. Our lawyers will evaluate your claim and provide you with all the information necessary to fill any gaps created by an incompetent lawyer and redirect your claim towards a successful outcome. If you would like to benefit from our free legal services, do not hesitate to seek legal assistance with our experts at your earliest convenience.

Our firm offers a Zero-Fee guarantee that ensures that our clients will never be required to pay any upfront fees for any of our legal services. Our firm is also strictly based on a contingency structure; this means that our clients will not be required to pay legal fees until after reaching a successful claim outcome – if you do not win, you simply will not pay. If you are in need of switching your lawyers, do not hesitate to contact the experts at our firm immediately.