Letting Attorneys Help You
Precautions When Changing Injury Lawyers Mid-Case
Dolores Rice
You can replace your personal injury lawyer at any time. However, you need to understand what you are getting into before instigating the switch. Replacing a lawyer mid-case can complicate your case in several ways. Below are some of the precautions you should take to minimize the complications.
Double Check Your Reasons
Although you can replace your lawyer for any reason, you should only do it for the right reasons. There is no use replacing a lawyer that has done the best possible work because the new one won't do much better. For example, if you were injured in a multi-car collision, you can only collect damages from the drivers or parties who caused your injuries. If someone is not liable for your damages, you can't collect damages from them even if you get the best lawyer in the country. In such a case, changing lawyers will still not help you.
Identify the Next Lawyer
You should not dismiss your current attorney before you have a new one in place. First, it is a waste of time because your case will be stagnant as you continue searching for a new lawyer. Secondly, the court might not allow you to halt your case before you have a new lawyer ready to continue with the work.
Settle the Legal Fees
You have the right to any documents your lawyer has once your contract with them is over. Your lawyer only has the right to retain the documents they generated (that is, the work they have already done) but not the documents they got from you or other third parties (such as your doctor). However, you may only get these documents from your lawyer once you have settled any outstanding legal fees.
Prepare For a Case Delay
Your new lawyer may require some time to acquaint themselves with your case. You might even have to ask for postponement or rearrangement of court dates. The more your case has progressed by the time you are changing lawyers, the more time your new lawyer might require for catching up. Thus, you should expect your case to take longer than it might have without the change in legal counsel.
Hopefully, you will sail through your injury case or claim without having to switch lawyers. However, in the odd chance that you need a new lawyer, take the above precautions to help you with the transition. Ensure you get a good lawyer because you shouldn't change lawyers too many times.
To learn more, contact a resource like Campbell Barnett PLLC.
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When you are faced with a serious legal matter, it only makes sense to work with an attorney who has the skillset to help. Attorneys are specially trained to manage everything from courtroom appearances to issues with paperwork, which is why you should have one on hand for when you are faced with an emergency. The purpose of this blog is to make it easier to understand when you should call a lawyer and how they can help. Read more on this blog to sort out everything you need to know to improve your legal prowess every single day, preventing problems.