Legal malpractice attorneys bring and defend claims against lawyers: missed deadlines, conflicts of interest, mishandled settlements, inadequate advice, and mismanagement of client funds. They also handle fee disputes and disciplinary matters before state bars.
A malpractice claim requires proving a case within a case — not only that the attorney fell below the standard of care, but that a competent attorney would have obtained a better result. That second element is what makes these cases demanding.
Before you hire
- Obtain your complete client file. You are entitled to it, and the claim is built from it.
- Watch the deadline, which in many states begins when you discovered or should have discovered the problem.
- Distinguish a bad outcome from negligence, and a fee dispute from malpractice. Bar fee arbitration is often the faster route for the latter.
- Ask whether the firm takes plaintiff-side malpractice work regularly; many decline it.
Appeals and professional licensing matters are listed separately.