why would a lawyer be so persistent on call you back

by Celestine Christiansen Published 1 year ago Updated 1 year ago 6 min read

The bottom line here is that just because the lawyer’s not calling you back does not mean that it’s anything personal. In fact, what it could mean is that the lawyer is actually trying to focus on winning your case, or doing something that will advance your settlement strategy.

Full Answer

What should I do if my lawyer won’t call back?

But give him a chance. Leave your office number and an after-hours number. Almost half of those who call either don’t leave a message or say something like, “He has my number.” The best attorneys are always busy. We’re in court, in depositions, meeting with clients and witnesses, or otherwise unable to call back.

Why is my lawyer not responding to me?

There are many reasons a lawyer may be unresponsive including the following: They are too busy. The lawyer has stopped representing your case. They don’t know how to properly communicate. Your case is complicated. They are away from their office. And more!

What happens when a lawyer stops working on a case?

In some cases, your lawyer may stop working on your case because they are no longer able to legally represent you due to malpractice or an ethical violation. In other situations, they may be fired by the client or withdrawn from the case on their own accord. 3. They Don’t Know How to Handle Communication With You

Why do lawyers reject clients?

There are three main reasons in my experience, two of which are somewhat understandable (though unacceptable, in my opinion), and one that is simply bad business. Going in order, it may be the case that a lawyer is simply too busy to take time to handle additional client intakes.

How long should you give a lawyer to call you back?

Regrettably, even the most discerning clients can hire an attorney who simply will not call them back. It's frustrating. As a general rule, give your lawyer 1-2 days to return your non-urgent phone call; very often, your lawyer may be out of the office for a half-day, whole day, or longer if he/she is in court.

Why would a lawyer contact me?

It could be that you are a witness to some event that they represent someone else for, they could represent a creditor of yours, or many, many, many other reasons.

Why do lawyers take so long to get back to you?

Once a case gets filed in court, things can really slow down. Common reasons why a case will take longer than one would hope can include: Trouble getting the defendant or respondent served. The case cannot proceed until the defendant on the case has been formally served with the court papers.

What to do when your lawyer will not call you back?

If your lawyer does not return your call, send them a letter and keep a copy. In the letter, describe what is bothering you and what you need. Suggest meeting with the lawyer face-to-face.

How often should your lawyer contact you?

There is no set formula for how often you will hear from your attorney. However, the key to a successful attorney client relationship is communication. Whenever there is an important occurrence in your case you will be contacted or notified.

What should you not say to a lawyer?

Five things not to say to a lawyer (if you want them to take you..."The Judge is biased against me" Is it possible that the Judge is "biased" against you? ... "Everyone is out to get me" ... "It's the principle that counts" ... "I don't have the money to pay you" ... Waiting until after the fact.

Is it normal not to hear from your attorney?

Throughout the process of getting your financial settlement after becoming injured, there may be periods of time that you do not hear from your attorney. Although this can be unnerving, it is a normal part of the legal process.

What is it called when a lawyer doesn't do his job?

Legal malpractice is a type of negligence in which a lawyer does harm to his or her client. Typically, this concerns lawyers acting in their own interests, lawyers breaching their contract with the client, and, one of the most common cases of legal malpractice, is when lawyers fail to act on time for clients.

Why do lawyers not respond?

One of the most common reasons that lawyers fail to communicate with their clients is because they are simply too busy. If you feel like you are getting the runaround, it may be time to take a more direct approach and call your lawyer directly.

What is unethical for a lawyer?

Attorney misconduct may include: conflict of interest, overbilling, refusing to represent a client for political or professional motives, false or misleading statements, knowingly accepting worthless lawsuits, hiding evidence, abandoning a client, failing to disclose all relevant facts, arguing a position while ...

How do you get your lawyer to respond?

If you think your attorney is ignoring you, send a certified letter to his office questioning the silence and that you are prepared to find a new lawyer if necessary. This will jolt him into action. He will respond either by saying the two of you aren't a good fit, or he will start being much more communicative.

What to do when your lawyer stops communicating with you?

If you have called your attorney, left messages, sent emails, and you still haven't heard a response, the best course of action is to send a certified letter to his or her office questioning the failure to communicate and informing them that you are prepared to find a new lawyer if the situation does not improve.

Why would a DA call me?

2 attorney answers The DA is required to call you under the Victim Bill of Rights because this is a domestic violence case. They could get in trouble if they did not do so. They have to send you a victim impact statement, get your position on the case, find out...

Can someone else's lawyer call you?

A: Yes, an attorney can contact you but you have no obligation to speak with them. If you believe you are at risk of being accused of a crime, you should contact a criminal defense attorney to discuss the details of the matter. If you are contacted by law enforcement at any point, do not make any statements.

Can someone else's lawyer text you?

Parties to a matter may communicate directly with each other, and a lawyer is not prohibited from advising a client concerning a communication that the client is legally entitled to make.

What is the rule about communicating with the client of another solicitor?

Solicitors must treat each other with mutual respect and trust. This respect and trust includes not communicating directly with each other's clients.

What to do if your lawyer refuses to answer your phone?

Use your good sense (referenced above) however. If your lawyer absolutely refuses to return your calls, get another lawyer. Your family law matter is too important and lawyers are too expensive for you to be out of the loop.

How many times a day should an attorney speak to you?

It is critically important that you keep informed about the status of your case. It is not reasonable (or cost-effective, for that matter), to demand that your attorney speak with you 3-4 times per day. Keep in mind that unless you are paying your attorney $10,000.00 per hour, your lawyer has to take in other clients all of whom will need to meet with your attorney, talk to him/her on the phone, correspond via email, and go to court.

Why do lawyers hire assistants?

That’s why your lawyer hired that person – to help you out when the attorney is tied up in court, depositions, mediations, or meetings. Most of the time, the legal assistant can answer basic questions regarding scheduling, copies of documents, due dates, etc. The assistant is also in the best position to make a note of your call and concern, relay it to your attorney, and provide you with direct and timely feedback. Additionally, the legal assistant is almost always in the office, whereas your attorney often is not.

What to do if you get behind on a bill?

If you get behind, work out a payment plan with your lawyer, or see if you can arrange for a flat fee or other billing structure .

What to do if you want to complain about your ex wife?

If you want to complain about your soon-to-be-ex-spouse, call your mother; I can almost guarantee you that she will take your side. 4. Do not abuse the word “emergency.”. In family law matters, “emergency” means you or your children are in imminent danger.

Why lawyers don't call people back

A reader asked what she can do to get her lawyer to return phone calls.

Meet The Blogger

I am a lawyer who talks like a regular person. I provide direct, honest advice, and if needed, I will recommend a lawyer to you.

How Do Law Firms Work?

So the first thing is, how do law firms work? There’s no one answer to that but I will give you a general answer which might be helpful in this instance. There are law firms that are high-volume and low-volume. High-volume usually means consumer-oriented law firm. Examples of this might be a matrimonial practice, a family law practice.

Individual Attention Might Not Be Critical to the Actual Success or Failure of Your Case

In that sort of situation, the idea that a client can call out of the blue and simply ask such things as, you know, how’s my case going, what do you think I should be doing here, when do you think it’ll be over, and have these general conversations, becomes an impediment to the standardization concept.

Be Clear About What You Expect from Your Lawyer

And that lawyer might have a very honest and open discussion with you about that, in which you either decide, “Hey, maybe I don’t have to call them whenever I want to. Maybe it’s okay if they just give me a three month update or something like that.” Or you might decide, “Hey, this is not the lawyer for me,” shake hands, move on.

Be Open and Honest with Your Lawyer and Ask for the Same in Return

Having said that, there is always the possibility that there’s been some kind of breakdown in the attorney-client relationship, and I don’t want to minimize that.

What do lawyers respond to?

Lawyers are trained in logic. They respond to objective, well-reasoned, unemotional statements. If you begin with, “It sounds like you’ve been busy,” or “Is there anything I can do to expedite collection of the fee?” you’ll be encouraging a dialogue, not two monologues.

Why are my attorney's messages so annoying?

“Urgent” messages are likely to result in an annoyed response, since they’re often returned when the attorney is preoccupied with another matter . Remember, you’re just trying to get your attorney’s attention, not to alienate her.

How to tell if an office is busy?

Some pretty reliable indications of a busy office are things like assistants frantically running around, others working at computers, phones constantly ringing, filing cabinets with trays full of case files nearby waiting to be filed, and at least a few clients waiting out in the reception room.

Can an army of marching attorneys help some clients?

We know that every case is not a winner. An army of marching attorneys can’t help some clients. The key is to be able to focus on the relevant law and facts immediately, so you don’t waste the client’s money and your time. If the attorney isn’t prosecuting your case, this probably wasn’t done. You can help.

Can contingency fees be recovered?

In contingency fee cases, the fee may still be due upon recovery by the new attorney unless you can show good cause for the dismissal . Good cause usually involves a serious mishandling of the case or the client, including:

Can you dismiss an attorney?

While you can dismiss an attorney whenever you choose, this is obviously the last resort. Time and money can be lost in the transfer, and many lawyers refuse to accept cases that have been handled by others.

Is a lawyer competent?

Even the best lawyers are usually truly competent and proficient in only a few areas of the law.

Why did my lawyer stop working on my case?

What happens if a lawyer does not respond to a client's request?

A lawyer who does not respond as a client would expect will cause unnecessary stress and anxiety – a good lawyer will make efforts to communicate a client’s concerns, act quickly and do the best job possible in a timely manner.

How to check if a lawyer is communicating with a client?

Check a local bar association – bar associations are a good resource for both a client and a lawyer to check when a communication breakdown is suspected. A situation where a lawyer is not communicating with a client can be a highly frustrating matter that a person may want to avoid if they are not sure of how a legal matter should proceed.

Why do lawyers not communicate with clients?

What happens if your lawyer is slow?

If your lawyer has been slow in responding or has failed to meet the deadlines that were agreed upon in your contract, you may be entitled to some compensation. You should speak with an attorney as soon as possible about how and how much you are owed for how long of a delay there has been.

What is the relationship between a lawyer and a client?

The lawyer-client relationship is based on trust and open, honest communication. A good lawyer will communicate quickly and a client can tell a lot about a few aspects of a case by how quickly their lawyer responds to questions, requests for information, and telephone calls.

Why does it take so long for a lawyer to respond to an email?

Sometimes, lawyers take a bit longer than usual to respond because they are away from their office or traveling for business. If you have not heard back from your lawyer within 48 hours of sending them an important email, you should send another email just asking if there is any news or status about your case.