what do you do if a lawyer rips you off

1. Complain about this to your attorney. Put it in writing. 2. If no results then talk with the law firm's managing partner (if there is someone like that). 3. If still no result, then contact the local bar asociation for their help.

Full Answer

What do I do if my lawyer is unresponsive?

May 01, 2012 · You should start with a written demand letter to the attorney asking for an accounting of all work performed, including work that was done incorrectly. In Pennsylvania, each county bar assoication has a fee dispute procedure. The link below will point you to the Allegheny County Bar Association fee dispute information. Licensed in MD, PA and DC.

What to do if your lawyer stole from you?

Nov 11, 2008 · If your attorney is a member of the Houston Bar Association, you can go to them as they have a free Fee Dispute Committee which does arbitrations if both sides agree. You can also contact the Client Assistance Program of the State Bar in Austin for assistance.

What to do if your lawyer is not working on You?

Answer (1 of 2): To provide detail…I chose my lawyer for my divorce through a family friend. He got a retainer upfront of $ 7700 =20 hours. His contract was fairly general and said he can invoice me for whatever. I ended up going to court 3 times and ended settling with my …

Should I dump my bad lawyer?

Jul 10, 2013 · According to the AP, the attorneys charged $27 million for three months of shoddy work. In other words, an unprecedented 34% of the recovered sum would be paid to legal fees. The situation was ...

How do you know if a lawyer is scamming you?

What is it called when a lawyer messes up?

What is the most common complaint against lawyers?

What should you not say to a lawyer?

Can I sue a lawyer for lying?

Why do lawyers ignore you?

How do you deal with rude lawyers?

How do I file a complaint against a public defender?

Who or what regulates attorneys in California?

Can a lawyer snitch on you?

How do you seduce a lawyer?

Do lawyers lie?

2 attorney answers

If your attorney is a member of the Houston Bar Association, you can go to them as they have a free Fee Dispute Committee which does arbitrations if both sides agree. You can also contact the Client Assistance Program of the State Bar in Austin for assistance. More

Lu Ann Trevino

Read your contract with the attorney and/or his firm. It should tell you the hourly rates and the expenses you are required to pay. Then read all your billing to see if there are entries for items which are not mentioned in the contract. This will give you a clearer picture of the work and expenses and a basis for disputing the bill.

What happens if you pay upfront for a lawyer?

Anytime you pay an upfront fee, you risk the lawyer not doing much or any work.

How much did Vick's lawyers charge for his bankruptcy?

Faced with a $2.66 million fee for a bankruptcy case, Vick learned that his lawyers were charging for extensive overhead expenses. As Am Law Daily noted, these included the cost of running air conditioning during the weekend; taxi rides home for employees working late; and $1,200 for plane tickets from New York to Kansas.

Why do law firms charge high billing rates?

Sometimes, law firms use high billing rates to stick clients with unnecessarily expensive bills for research, secretarial work, and other low-level tasks.

How much did the attorneys charge for the Ponzi scheme?

Allen Stanford Ponzi scheme recovered only $81 million. According to the AP, the attorneys charged $27 million for three months of shoddy work.

Do lawyers squeeze money out of clients?

Like all consultants, some lawyers find questionable ways to squeeze money out of clients. Some are legal, some aren't, but all will make a CFO's blood boil.

Is it justifiable to spend big bucks on litigation?

Like a sick person, a company facing litigation is willing to spend big bucks to get out of a trouble. It's entirely justifiable, and lawyers are only too happy to oblige, billing clients for every minute worked, and then some.

What to do when a car dealer rips you off?

Are you wondering what to do when a car dealer rips you off ? The best way to get your money back, cancel your contract, and return the car to the car dealer is to have an auto dealer fraud attorney file a lawsuit against the car dealer who ripped you off.

What to do if you get ripped off by a car dealer?

If you got ripped off when buying a used car, our auto attorneys can file a lawsuit against your car dealer . If you believe that you have been ripped off by a car dealer, our auto fraud attorneys can:

How to get money back from a car dealer?

The best way to get your money back, cancel your contract, and return the car to the car dealer is to have an auto dealer fraud attorney file a lawsuit against the car dealer who ripped you off.

How does consumer law protect buyers from dealers?

Consumer laws protect buyers from dealers that use bait and switch tactics by forcing dealerships to show buyers the sale order for an advertised car that is “sold” or to honor the advertised price if the car is not sold. Dealerships like to quote the MSRP and sell cars for more or less, depending on the demand for that particular make and model. MSRP is not the same as an ad price with a specific VIN.

What is a dealership lying about?

Dealer Lying About Your Income. Another common issue that comes up is the salesperson inflating the buyer’s income to make the deal work. Some dealerships have a reputation for doing whatever it takes to make the sale. An aggressive salesperson might cross the line for a deal.

Can a car dealership sue you for selling a car over the advertised price?

By law, even when car buyers don’t see the ad before buying the vehicle, a lawyer can sue a car dealership that sells a vehicle over the ad price and get your money back. In the state of California, it is illegal for a dealer to sell cars to a consumer above the advertised price. A common dealership trick is to advertise a low car price ...

Can you sue a car dealer for a price that is $25,000?

If the advertised price was $25,000 but the dealer sells it for $27,500 in person, you will be able to sue the dealer. Most car dealerships advertise vehicles online, and you can usually find a copy of the ad by searching the VIN number for the used car or new car.

What to do if you lost money because of a lawyer?

If you lost money because of the way your lawyer handled your case, consider suing for malpractice. Know, however, that it is not an easy task. You must prove two things:

What to do if your lawyer is unresponsive?

If the lawyer is unresponsive and the matter involves a lawsuit, go to the courthouse and look at your case file, which contains all the papers that have actually been filed with the court. If you've hired a new lawyer, ask her for help in getting your file. Also, ask your state bar association for assistance.

What is the agency responsible for licensing and disciplining lawyers?

Every state has an agency responsible for licensing and disciplining lawyers. In most states, it's the bar association; in others, the state supreme court. The agency is most likely to take action if your lawyer has failed to pay you money that you won in a settlement or lawsuit, made some egregious error such as failing to show up in court, didn't do legal work you paid for, committed a crime, or has a drug or alcohol abuse problem.

What to do if your lawyer doesn't respond?

If your lawyer does not respond, or subsequent meetings or conversations are not fruitful, consider suggesting mediation to work out your communication problems if you still want this lawyer to represent you. A bad deskside manner doesn't mean that the lawyer isn't an excellent lawyer, and it can be difficult to find a new one in the middle of a case.

What is the defense of a lawyer who is sued for malpractice?

A common defense raised by attorneys sued for malpractice is that the client waited too long to sue. And because this area of the law can be surprisingly complicated and confusing, there's often plenty of room for argument. Legal malpractice cases are expensive to pursue, so do some investigating before you dive in.

What to do if you can't find out what has been done?

If you can't find out what has (and has not) been done, you need to get hold of your file. You can read it in your lawyer's office or ask your lawyer to send you copies of everything -- all correspondence and everything filed with the court or recorded with a government agency.

What happens if a lawyer doesn't return phone calls?

A lawyer who doesn't return phone calls or communicate with you for an extended period of time may be guilty of abandoning you -- a violation of attorneys' ethical obligations. But that's for a bar association to determine (if you register a complaint), and it won't do you much good in the short term.