Legal Question in Criminal Law in Illinois

I hired a lawyer and he took my money

I called a lawyer in Illinois to see if he could help my friend get a motion for an early release. He told me his retainer was $5000.00. I called him again a few days later and he advised I could send him $1000.00 just to start, to order the court file for the details to see if there was a chance for a early release. He would then e-mail a copy of the court file. He also told me he was sending a letter to my friend in prison asking for information because the court file didn't have any information. He was also going to e-mail me a copy of the letter. I haven't seen anything. He promised in a e-mail he would send it by a certain day. I have called him numerous times and left messages. Is there anything else I could do to get my money back?


Asked on 3/31/08, 6:04 pm

2 Answers from Attorneys
Nicholas Adamucci ADAMUCCI, LLC

Re: I hired a lawyer and he took my money

If you can prove that you entered into a contract with him, you may be able to file suit in small claims court. If you need help, you can email me at [email protected].

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Answered on 3/31/08, 7:59 pm
Jonathan Cohen Shestokas, Raines, & Malavia, P.C.

Re: I hired a lawyer and he took my money

Although it may be frustrating, continued attempts at communication with the attorney are always a good idea. Attorneys often get bogged down and, even with the best of intentions, fall behind in keeping up with their correspondence. Try multiple forms of correspondence such as mailing/faxing a letter inquiring as to the status of the case. E-mail is nice when people check it and respond, but hard copy mail is more formal.

You should also try and contact your friend in jail to see if the attorney has had contact with him since, technically, your friend is the attorney's client, not you.

If patience and repeated attempts at contacting the attorney fail, there are other options you may pursue. Many local/regional bar associations have fee dispute committees designed to address disputes between clients and attorneys over whether a fee has been earned. You may want to contact local bar associations in the area where the attorney practices and inquire as to such arbitration committees.

Finally, the Illinois ARDC (Attorney Registration & Disciplinary Commission) sometimes handles disputes between clients and attorneys over fees.

Just remember, try to be patient and solve things with the attorney amicably before resorting to more dispute-oriented approaches.

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Answered on 3/31/08, 9:35 pm


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