Legal Question in Personal Injury in Missouri

Re: Unresponsive lawyer

You have an absolute right to fire any lawyer you are dissatisfied with. You are entitled to a refund on any unused portion of the child support retainer. You need to have them formally withdraw from representation in both matters by notifying the insurance company and court. Get your complete file back from them on both cases and seek new representation. I would be happy to consult with you on both cases. You can check me out at injurylawstlouis.com. I have over 31 years of experience in both types of legal matters.

Greg S. Kessler [email protected]

314 725-8000

Re: Unresponsive lawyer

The primary complaint lodged with the Bar Association is lack of communication from an attorney to his client.

The short answer is yes, you can fire an attorney at any time. For the contingent fee lawyer, he is entitled to a lien for the work he has done on the case, to be paid at the end of the case. Whether or not he has done anything is the question, but that can be resolved at the end of your case.

As for the retainer, don't expect to get much back from that. You are entitled to an accounting of the time spent, but it is rare for any retainer to go unspent by most attorneys. If your attorney has truly done nothing, then you should get most of the money back.

The reality is that in most legal matters, much of the work is done behind the scenes, and the client is not aware of the things being done on their behalf. You should demand an accounting of what has been done, however, and be persistent to get answers to your questions. Otherwise, cut your losses and hire competent counsel with whom you can communicate, and who will value the trust you place in them.