Getting Rid of Your Lawyer

You may find information about terminating your lawyer here.

People often fail to recognize that they have the ability to terminate their lawyer. Of course, this is not a good alternative, but if you engage an attorney, you may also end your connection with him or her. You may terminate your lawyer at any moment if your case is not in court. If it is, you may need to get approval from the court.

Of course, terminating your lawyer may be pricey since you’ll almost certainly have to employ a new one as a substitute. But, if you are really dissatisfied (or feel your attorney has behaved unethically), it is a viable alternative. Some things you should anticipate from your counsel, and if you aren’t receiving them, it’s best to talk to your lawyer about it before acting rashly.

Remember that you must pay your attorney for all services rendered up to the point of termination, as agreed upon in your initial engagement letter.

If you decide to terminate your lawyer, you should write him or her a certified letter indicating unequivocally that your partnership is ending and that the attorney should stop working on your case. You are entitled to the work product you and your lawyer developed up to the moment your partnership is ended, therefore request your files returned or have them delivered to your new lawyer.

But keep it professional. Nobody wants to be fired, and the more straightforward, upfront, and professional you are, the smoother the process will be.