How Often Should Your Attorney Update You?

There is no one-size fits all answer to this question. However, clients should have open and consistent communication with their lawyers. The frequency of updates will vary depending on the specific case and the attorney's communication style, but clients should expect to receive updates at least every few weeks unless the lawyer has made it clear that there will be no updates for a long time.

Legal proceedings can take time and may not always move quickly. Clients should feel comfortable reaching out to their attorney if they have any questions or concerns. All attorneys should provide their clients with contact information, including their email and phone number so that clients can reach out to them directly.

It is also important for clients to understand that their attorney is working on multiple matters and may not be available to respond to inquiries immediately. However, clients should expect to receive a response within a reasonable amount of time.

Clients should expect regular updates on their case from their attorney, but the frequency of these updates will vary depending on the specific case or matter. Clients should also feel comfortable reaching out to their attorney with any questions or concerns and expect a response within a reasonable amount of time.

What Do You Do if Your Attorney Does Not Answer Your Emails or Calls?

If you have reached out to your attorney multiple times expecting a reply, but have not received one after a long period of time, you can take the following steps.

  1. Contact another employee at the law firm, if any, including another attorney, a paralegal, or a secretary. Your attorney might have had an unexpected personal event come up that prevented them from answering your questions. While normally an attorney should notify their clients or arrange for alternative representation if this occurs, this may not have been possible.

  2. Consider switching attorneys. If you are unhappy with your representation, consider finding another attorney. Remember that all of your lawyer’s work on your case or matter, known as “legal work product,” belongs to you as a client. You can ask your lawyer to send you everything in your file so that you can provide this information to your new attorney. Remember, you may still owe legal fees for any work-in-process completed by your attorney.

  3. If your attorney’s lack of communication created a serious problem for you, consider filing a complaint with your state’s bar association. Bar associations take client complaints seriously, and will investigate every complaint. Remember, complaints should be reserved for only serious issues with your attorney. If your attorney had a good excuse for failing to respond, your complaint will probably not result in action by the bar association.

  4. If your attorney’s failure to respond to your emails or calls results in serious consequences for you as a client, consider suing for malpractice. Malpractice is a cause of action clients can use to sue their attorneys when things go wrong. For example, if your attorney misses a court deadline for no good reason, and it causes you to lose a case, you may be able to recover any money lost from your attorney. Note that simply losing a case is not a good basis for a malpractice claim. To show malpractice, you must should that the attorney performed unreasonably poorly when representing you. Of course, you will need to find a new attorney to represent you in a malpractice case.

How Do You Improve Communication With Your Attorney?

It is primarily the job of the attorney to make sure that there is open communication between the attorney and their client. With that said, the best way to make sure that you have a good relationship with your attorney is to make sure you choose an attorney who you trust and work well with. Take a look at this article for tips on choosing the right attorney for you. Reply time is a major factor for many clients in determining whether they are satisfied with their lawyer.

When you first begin working with an attorney, ask your attorney how frequently they plan to provide updates. If you would like more frequent updates, communicate that need to your attorney. A good attorney will do their best to make sure you feel comfortable that they are paying enough attention to your legal issue. Life happens and lawyers get busy. Try to be understanding, but also keep communication in mind when deciding whether to use a certain attorney again in the future.