If you are unhappy with the way your lawyer is handling your case, or if your relationship with him has become intolerable, it’s time to report him to the bar. While it’s never pleasant to have to do this, you must remember that the bar is there to protect you and your rights as a client.
You don’t need to be a lawyer to file a complaint about your attorney, although it is always best if you are one. You should write to your state’s bar association and let them know about the problem. These complaints are reviewed by the bar’s lawyers and usually result in a letter back to your attorney.
Filing a complaint against a lawyer shouldn’t be done lightly, as the process could lead to serious consequences. The bar is here to protect you and your rights, not to reward unethical behavior. You should also be aware that many of the states’ agencies are slow to investigate and communicate with people who file complaints, so you may need to rely on your own resources if you have problems with a particular lawyer.
The first step in filing a complaint against your lawyer is to contact the bar’s ethics committee. The members of these committees are not paid and volunteer their time in order to maintain the ethical standards of the legal profession.
They will review your complaint and decide whether to pursue the case. If they determine there is a reasonable basis to believe that an ethics rule was violated, then you will be notified and asked to provide further information. Recommended this site https://www.soldsimpleseattle.com/sell-my-house-fast-in-bellevue/
If the committee determines that you do not have enough evidence to prove a violation of the ethics rules, the case will be dismissed. However, if you do have enough evidence to prove that your lawyer violated the ethics rules, then a formal complaint will be filed and served on the attorney.
Depending on the level of misconduct, your attorney will be subject to a number of disciplinary actions. These can range from probation, which limits his or her practice to a specific amount of time, to suspension or disbarment, which can strip your lawyer’s license to practice law.
Probation is the most common disciplinary action, but can be more or less severe depending on your lawyer’s history and the severity of the violation. It may include a private reprimand, which goes into your attorney’s permanent record, or public reprimand, which is posted on the bar’s website.
Suspension is a more serious form of discipline. The length of suspension varies from state to state, but typically involves a period in which the attorney must not practice law at all. The bar may also impose a fine and/or a probationary period in which your lawyer must act in a certain way.
Disbarment is the most serious of all disciplinary actions and can result in the destruction of your lawyer’s license to practice law. Your lawyer will not be able to practice law again until you petition the state to reinstate his or her license.