how should i explain my case to my lawyer

Communicating Effectively 1. Organize your thinking. At your first meeting, you need to give your lawyer the background of your dispute. 2. State exactly what you want. You hired a lawyer to serve your interests, not the lawyer’s interests or anyone else’s. 3. Stay informed about your case. You can ...

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What should a lawyer tell a client about a case?

Jun 15, 2013 · Consider how much you are willing to do to organize your evidence, provide your witness contacts, write down a chronology (time line) of events, and generally sell yourself to your attorney, as well as the case, by appearing organized. Tell your story in the shortest possible way. Rambling on about hurt feelings is a major red flag. This can kill your attractiveness as a …

How do I get a lawyer to take my case?

Your lawyer should: acknowledge that you are in charge tell you what to expect explain when things should happen tell you what's important in your case estimate what things will cost help you analyze the cost-effectiveness of various strategies explain delays or date changes explain what your case ...

When does a lawyer have to give a client an explanation?

Feb 12, 2022 · Collect communications between you and your lawyer as well as information about the case that led you to hire the attorney in the first place. For example, if you hired a lawyer to draft a marital separation agreement, find your copy of the agreement.

What information should you give to a lawyer?

A lawyer must be able to communicate effectively with a client. When a client asks for an explanation, the lawyer must provide it within a reasonable time. A lawyer must inform a client about changes in a case caused by time and circumstances. Fees

What should you not say to a lawyer?

9 Taboo Sayings You Should Never Tell Your LawyerI forgot I had an appointment. ... I didn't bring the documents related to my case. ... I have already done some of the work for you. ... My case will be easy money for you. ... I have already spoken with 5 other lawyers. ... Other lawyers don't have my best interests at heart.More items...•Mar 17, 2021

How do you tell your lawyer what you want?

Practice telling your attorney exactly what you want, and don't be afraid to ask questions....Your lawyer should be happy to answer all of your questions.If you don't understand something your lawyer has said, ask for clarification. ... Ask your lawyer to explain the reasoning behind their advice.More items...

Can you tell anything to your lawyer?

The attorney-client privilege is a rule that protects the confidentiality of communications between lawyers and clients. Under the rule, attorneys may not divulge their clients' secrets, nor may others force them to.

How do you convince a lawyer?

Five Ways to Persuade Like a Silver-Tongued Trial LawyerSpot the Issues. The first year of law school is designed to change the way you think. ... Use Short Words. ... Use Common Expressions. ... Use Lyrical Language. ... Paint the Right Picture. ... Drag Out Your Inner Attorney.Jun 9, 2009

How often should I hear from my attorney?

You should never be afraid or feel like an intrusion to contact your attorney every three weeks or so, or more frequently if there is a lot going on with your health or other matters related to your legal case. There is of course a limit to how much you should be contacting or sharing.Jun 17, 2020

How do you talk like a lawyer?

8:4911:16How to Speak like a Veteran Lawyer in 11 minutes - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo when you speak and it's very hard to explain empathy and non verbals. But you're going to useMoreSo when you speak and it's very hard to explain empathy and non verbals. But you're going to use very soft friendly. Body language tonality and eye contact.

How do you know a bad lawyer?

Signs of a Bad LawyerBad Communicators. Communication is normal to have questions about your case. ... Not Upfront and Honest About Billing. Your attorney needs to make money, and billing for their services is how they earn a living. ... Not Confident. ... Unprofessional. ... Not Empathetic or Compassionate to Your Needs. ... Disrespectful.Aug 19, 2020

Should you tell your lawyer everything?

The best strategy for someone facing criminal charges is to follow the lead of an experienced, trusted criminal defense lawyer, and no matter, to be truthful with that lawyer. An attorney who has your best interests in mind will advise you regarding the possibilities and your best course of action.

Can a lawyer tell you to lie?

The American Bar Association Model Rules of Professional Conduct prohibit lawyers from making false statements of material fact or law to third parties, and from failing to disclose material facts when necessary to avoid assisting criminal or fraudulent conduct by a client.Jun 17, 2015

Do you need to be persuasive to be a lawyer?

You begin to notice a pattern with the attorneys who are consistently good – they are hard workers, but they are also very good persuaders. Whether you do family law, employment class actions, business litigation, or personal injury, you have to be good at persuading.Jan 26, 2016

What should I ask my lawyer?

You should ask your lawyer if he or she has any expectations for how you will communicate. For example, the lawyer will probably want you to respond to requests for information in a prompt manner. Also your lawyer will probably want you to notify them of any changes in your situation.

How to communicate with a lawyer?

1. Ask your lawyer how he or she communicates. Each lawyer is different. Some might prefer to communicate by email. Others may communicate by telephone. At your first meeting with the lawyer, you should discuss how you will communicate. Try not to demand that the lawyer use your preferred method of communication.

Who is Clinton Sandvick?

Sandvick, JD, PhD. Clinton M. Sandvick worked as a civil litigator in California for over 7 years. He received his JD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1998 and his PhD in American History from the University of Oregon in 2013. This article has been viewed 4,117 times.

What to do if communication has broken down?

If you feel communication has broken down, address your own shortcomings. For example, you might not get requested information to your lawyer until right before a deadline. This makes it very difficult for a lawyer to represent you. Think about why you are struggling to communicate with your lawyer.

Is a lawyer a therapist?

Your lawyer certainly understands that you have feelings and that this is a stressful time for you. At the same time, however, your lawyer is not a therapist and is not trained to handle emotional breakdowns or excessive venting. These types of outbursts hinder effective communication.

Why is it important to hire a lawyer?

When you hire a lawyer, it's important that your fee agreement is in writing and that you understand it. It's a simple way to avoid a common cause of contention with clients—the legal bills.

What happens if you don't communicate with your lawyer?

Communication problems create problems in all types of relationships—including between an attorney and client. If you don't know what's going on in your lawsuit, you might assume you have a bad lawyer. To the contrary, your attorney could be doing a great job. Either way, a lawyer who doesn't communicate case progress is invariably increasing, not decreasing, your stress.

Is there a guarantee that a lawyer will do a good job?

It's a big shock to most people that there is no guarantee that your lawyer will do a good job. Bar associations tasked with monitoring attorneys go after lawyers who steal or violate specific ethical rules—not lawyers who just aren't very good.

How to pursue a malpractice case?

Before pursuing a legal malpractice case, pull together all relevant documents and information. Collect communications between you and your lawyer as well as information about the case that led you to hire the attorney in the first place.

What are the common mistakes lawyers make?

However, we tend to see common mistakes that lawyers make over and over, including: 1 Inaccurate billing; 2 Missed deadlines; 3 Failing to communicate with the client; 4 Settling a lawsuit without the client’s consent; 5 Giving inaccurate legal advice; 6 Stealing or losing money or property that belongs to the client; 7 Incompetently drafting legal documents that do not protect your rights; 8 Failing to file a case before the expiration of the statute of limitations; and 9 Taking a case despite an existing conflict of interest.

What is a missed deadline?

Missed deadlines; Failing to communicate with the client; Settling a lawsuit without the client’s consent; Giving inaccurate legal advice; Stealing or losing money or property that belongs to the client; Incompetently drafting legal documents that do not protect your rights; Failing to file a case before the expiration of the statute ...

Do lawyers have to be perfect?

Lawyers are not required to be perfect or even win your case. However, lawyers must use the same care, skill, and diligence possessed by other lawyers in their community under similar circumstances. A negligent lawyer fails to uphold this requirement, resulting in a less favorable result for their client.

What is a duty of care agreement?

Typically, a verbal or written agreement between the parties exhibits an attorney-client relationship. A duty of care requires an attorney to use the same care, skill, and diligence possessed by other lawyers in their community under similar circumstances.

What is breach of care?

Breach. A breach occurs when a lawyer fails to exercise reasonable care in your representation. For example, if the standard of care includes filing pleadings on time and your attorney misses an important deadline, they will have breached the standard of care.

What is causation in a case?

Causation. Proving that, but for the attorney’s negligence, you would have obtained a more favorable settlement or outcome establishes causation. In other words, the harm you suffer must follow directly from the attorney’s negligence.

How to contact a lawyer?

1. Always Use Personal Communication Methods to Contact a Legal Professional. It is important when you contact a law office about your legal concerns that you do so on a private e-mail account, cell phone, home phone and/or computer. Please do not use any company-provided e-mail, phones or computers.

What does an attorney do?

Attorneys act as your spokespersons before the court, to put your best story forward. Both sides must communicate clearly to one another to achieve a favorable result. You want a lawyer you feel comfortable with. Someone who responds to you with intelligence and compassion, and who listens to your story. Here are 10 helpful – no, critical – steps ...

How to prove a termination of a job?

Prepare a summary of your economic (financial) damages. Bring pay stubs, salary information, anything that shows how this situation is impacting you financially. If you have seen a mental health counselor regarding these incidents, be sure to tell the lawyer. If you have been unable to find a new job, keep track of those efforts, so you can prove your termination caused you loss of “future income.” The attorney needs to know how you were damaged and what you expect to recover. Many clients have unrealistic expectations about their case based on things they’ve seen on television or read online. Every case is different. Proof of events, credibility of witnesses and many other circumstances and variables make each case unique. A good attorney will want to focus on you and the facts of your case, to attempt to build a winning legal strategy.

What to do after discrimination?

Immediately after the discrimination, harassment, or other qualifying incident occurs, you should be reaching out to potential attorneys. All laws have varying timelines requiring action to protect a claim. So waiting around can cause you to have a rough time finding representation, if you’ve let so much time go that your deadline is about to run or, worse, has already done so. If you blow a statute of limitations or other deadline, you will have no case. Period. Attorneys need adequate time to investigate your claim before this happens.

How to get from point A to point B?

In order to get from Point A to Point B, you must have done your part by reporting your harassment or discrimination to your employer or your employer’s HR department, allowing them time to cure the bad behavior before filing suit. 5. Be Prepared and Organized During Your Initial Phone Call.

Can an attorney tell you if you won a case?

No attorney will be able to tell you whether you will win a case, even if your evidence is strong. If an attorney takes a pass on a case, it is likely for a good reason: either he doesn’t practice in that area, or she cannot handle the matter within the client’s parameters (cost, timing).

What happens if no laws are broken?

If a cursory evaluation shows no laws have been broken, you will have no recourse in a court of law, and don’t need legal representation. Alternatively, should you eventually decide to proceed with filing a lawsuit, it is important to understand that the legal system is a very labor-intensive and interactive process.

What to do if you have a complaint about a lawyer?

If you believe you have a valid complaint about how your lawyer has handled your case, inform the organization that governs law licenses in your state. Usually this is the disciplinary board of the highest court in your state. In some states, the state bar association is responsible for disciplining lawyers.

What is the relationship between a lawyer and a client?

In a lawyer-client relationship, acting responsibly involves duties on both sides—and often involves some hard work. You have a right to expect competent representation from your lawyer. However, every case has at least two sides. If you are unhappy with your lawyer, it is important to determine the reasons.

What happens if your lawyer doesn't communicate?

A lack of communication causes many problems. If your lawyer appears to have acted improperly, or did not do something that you think he or she should have done, talk with your lawyer about it. You may be satisfied once you understand the circumstances better. I have tried to discuss my complaints with my lawyer.

Can a lawyer write a will?

For example, a lawyer may not be involved in writing a will for a client who leaves the lawyer substantial money or property in that will. Keeping Clients’ Property. If a lawyer is holding a client’s money or property, it must be kept safely and separately from the lawyer’s own funds and belongings.

What is the job of a lawyer?

Communication. A lawyer must be able to communicate effectively with a client. When a client asks for an explanation, the lawyer must provide it within a reasonable time. A lawyer must inform a client about changes in a case caused by time and circumstances. Fees.

Can a lawyer represent two clients?

A lawyer must be loyal to his or her client. This means that a lawyer cannot represent two clients who are on opposite sides in the same or related lawsuits. And, ordinarily, there can be no representation of a client whose interests would conflict with the lawyer’s interests.

What happens if there is no attorney-client relationship?

Being the first of the four mandatory elements of a legal malpractice claim, if no attorney-client relationship existed, a legal malpractice suit will be over before it even begins.

What is the second element of a client's case?

The second element a client must prove is intent or negligence on the part of the attorney. To successfully maintain the suit for legal malpractice, the client must prove that the attorney either intended to harm the client, or negligently failed to use the care, skill, and judgment required of a member of the legal profession ...

What is the first element of a client?

The first element the client must prove is the existence of an attorney-client relationship. This relationship can be established any time an attorney has given, or promises to give, legal advice to an individual seeking it. A formal acknowledgement made by both parties that the attorney is representing the client’s interests is clear evidence ...

What are the third and fourth elements of a malpractice claim?

The third and fourth elements of a legal malpractice claim are closely related. The third element a client must prove is that the attorney’s action or inaction was the cause of the harm. The fourth and final element is probably the hardest to prove – that the injury sustained would not have occurred but for the attorney’s actions. ...

Who is Jeffrey Johnson?

Jeffrey Johnson is a legal writer with a focus on personal injury. He has worked on personal injury and sovereign immunity litigation in addition to experience in family, estate, and criminal law. He earned a J.D. from the University of Baltimore and has worked in legal offices and non-profits in Maryland, Texas, and North Carolina. He has also earned an MFA in screenwriting from Chapman Univer...

How to get a good lawyer to take your case?

“If you want to improve your chances of securing the best lawyer to take your case, you need to prepare before you meet them,” advises attorney Stephen Babcock. “Get your story, facts, and proof together well before your first meeting.” This not only ensures that you understand your own needs, but it helps a good lawyer to ascertain whether he or she can actually help you. “We want the best clients too. Proving you’re organized and reliable helps us.”

Why is it important to approach a lawyer with honesty?

“ Winning cases can be lost because of a client who lies or exaggerates just as easily as because of a lawyer who tells the client what the client wants to hear instead of what is true.” So when dealing with attorneys, don’t just look for honesty—be honest.

What is a potential money pit?

When hiring an attorney, a potential money pit is “expenses” outside of the lawyer’s billable hours. Expenses include everything—copying and faxing costs, hiring expert witnesses, and even traveling via private jet, points out attorney Justin C. Roberts. Some lawyers don’t just pass the charges along; instead, they charge an additional percentage fee. Whatever their method, you need to know it up front so there won’t be any surprises when the bill arrives.

Do good lawyers always find every opportunity to keep a case from being decided by a judge?

“In my experience, a good lawyer always finds every opportunity to keep a case from being decided by a judge, and only relents on trying a case before the bench when all alternatives have been exhausted,” attorney, Jason Cruz says. “If a lawyer suggests they want to try the case in front of a judge, you should definitely speak with another lawyer before proceeding,”

Can you appeal a disability denial?

If you feel helpless when faced with an insurance denial, please know that you might be able to appeal with the help of a qualified lawyer, says David Himelfarb, attorney. Insurance companies routinely deny long-term disability claims, for example, particularly because it’s assumed that most people don’t have access to reputable attorneys to challenge the denial. “This is where intricate knowledge of the legal and insurance process, as well as the right team of experts to prove the claim, can reverse the odds.”

Do most cases settle outside the courtroom?

In choosing your attorney and your plan of action in resolving a dispute, it’s important to consider that despite what you see on television, most cases never see the inside of a courtroom. Typically, they’re settled outside the courtroom because of the time and expense involved, according to attorney Darren Heitner, author of How to Play the Game: What Every Sports Attorney Needs to Know.