2006-09-19 09:48:13 · 19 answers · asked by carl z 1 in Politics & Government ➔ Law & Ethics
I am a paralegal and legal assistant for one of the top lawyers in my state.
I gave an answer to a question very similar to this a while ago and a lot of people were angered by my answer, but I'll give it again in the hopes that it may apply to you.
1) Do you really need to speak to the attorney? I get calls all day long from clients and others who insist that they need to speak to the attorney when in fact what they want to know is something simple such as what is your fax number, what street are you on, what time do you close, etc.
2) Could someone else answer your questions? Legal assistants and paralegals cannot give legal advice, but they can answer an awful lot of questions and explain things to you.
3) Are you one of those people who has had things explained to you 17 times already and you either refuse to hear what we have said or somehow truly believe that reality does not apply to you? Are you asking the same questions over and over, somehow hoping that the answer will have changed? If so, he or she is avoiding you.
4) Why do you believe your attorney should be chained to their desk, awaiting your call? Or that they should drop everything in order to speak to you? Unless it is truly an emergency or a time sensitive matter, within a week is a reasonable time to have your call returned. Lawyers are busy. Free time is something lawyers do not have a lot of. Every day is full of deadlines, appearances, appointments, etc. There simply isn't enough time in the day to sit down and speak with everyone who calls or drops by.
5) Have you tried sending a short, straight to the point e-mail? E-mail response times are generally quicker than other forms of communication.
6) Are you telling and re-telling your entire life story every time you call? Trust me, no one wants to hear it. And even if we wanted to, we don't have the time.
7) Are you leaving long-winded rambling messages? The people who suck up the most time are called back last because there are too many other things that need to be done.
8) Are you being nice to the support staff? I answer the phone a lot, and I can't begin to tell you how many people behave badly when they call. Being surly and demanding will get you nowhere. The staff person you form a personal relationship with will be the one who shortens your response time considerably.
9) Are you being a pain in the rear? Be honest. If you are calling out of anxiety on a regular basis, no one will want to deal with you. For example, if you were told the other party has 30 days to respond, don't call every day and ask if we heard anything yet. When we hear something, we will let you know.
"You go directly to the office past his secretary and go into his office, tell him you ******* overpay him ... ."
You watch too much television. In real life, you will be arrested. I personally have no problem calling the police when a client crosses the line. I have done it before and have no compunctions about doing it again if I have to.
"I would leave him a message and say if you don't call me back by the end of the day - I will find someone else."
No one wants a client like you. You can glady take your business elsewhere. No one who is competent is going to put up with you and your ridiculous demands.
2006-09-20 03:50:00 · answer #1 · answered by BoomChikkaBoom 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If you're unsatisfied with his services, get another attorney; although if you have a pattern of switching attorneys all the time, it gets around and you'll have trouble finding anyone to take your case.
However, realize that most if not all attorneys are very busy and don't have the time to return calls immediately. Constantly calling over trivial matters or asking how your case is going every few days is a waste of time and will make your attorney resent you.
This said, if you're not hearing ANYTHING and haven't in a awhile (over a month, for example), there could be a problem he's not telling you, or your case has gotten buried - if you're concerned, the best solution may be to make an appointment (with his assistant) to go in and talk with him about it.
2006-09-19 17:53:10 · answer #2 · answered by Lieberman 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They are always busy. If you have A public defender,that is all you will ever hear.Send him A fax,something like(I realize you are very busy,and your time is important,however I have some concerns, IE..........) This will create A record ( save your fax receipt)you see attorneys hate proof. Do this every other day until he contacts you,also document the time and date of every phone call you make to him, and make them. If you are involved in A criminal matter,and lose, you are going to want to appeal based on ineffectiveness of council.Yes,even if your guilty this is an appeal-able issue.Any time you can use the but,for rule in law, you usually have A loop whole.
Example- But for the fact that you did not have ample time to discus,investigate, question,explain, what ever, with your attorney then the results of the trial would have been different.( now you have to come up with the excuse)any way you create A paper trail,and document your calls,unless he has A burning desire to be dis bared, he will get down to business.
2006-09-19 17:07:57 · answer #3 · answered by foreversmilingirish 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, first off, you've got to understand that your attorney has lots of other clients. If it takes him a while to get back to you it's probably not because he's avoiding you, it's because he's busy. However, there are attorneys out there that aren't up front if they feel your case hasn't a chance in hell, and some will play the "call u back later" game, and "later" never comes. I'd have to know more about your situation, but you should be able to sense what is going on.
2006-09-19 16:52:35 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
He may not value your business, or he may just really be busy with another case right now. Stress to his secretary that you would like someone to help you as soon as possible. If your attorney works at a big firm, ask that he refer you to another partner in his firm who has more availability at the moment. If this doesn't get you anywhere, you need to change attorneys.
2006-09-19 16:54:43 · answer #5 · answered by Jonathon M 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Leave a message with date, time and short details of what it is you want to speak to him about. If you get no return call, then shop around for another attorney.'
2006-09-19 16:56:29 · answer #6 · answered by Bluealt 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Leave a message. Most attorneys work 10-12 hour days, and are running around a lot with court hearings, filings, etc.
Leave a message, and let him know when you can be reached.
2006-09-19 16:52:04 · answer #7 · answered by coragryph 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Call around to find a better attorney. Let him know he is not providing customer satisfaction.
2006-09-19 16:49:37 · answer #8 · answered by speakeasy 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would never expect to get my attorney in his office and available for a call...BUT I would expect a call back at his earliest availability. If he never returns your call...call the BAR and refuse to pay his fees.
2006-09-19 16:59:40 · answer #9 · answered by Angelfood 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You might get another attorney.
2006-09-19 16:50:24 · answer #10 · answered by Mr. Know 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋