Can I Change My Accident Lawyer?

When you bring legal concerns to a personal injury lawyer, you want to believe that your new representative has your best interests at heart. This, unfortunately, isn’t always the case. Sometimes your personality doesn’t mesh with your first lawyer of choice. Other times, you may find yourself disapproving of an attorney’s approach to your case.

With that in mind, you can change your accident lawyer, even if you’re in the midst of a case. While the chance may require you to jump through some hoops, you can find a representative that you feel better addresses your concerns. Morelli Law Firm, for example, can connect you with personal injury representatives who will center your needs within your case.

Why Might You Change Your Accident Lawyer?

You can opt to change personal injury lawyers for several reasons. Some lawyers, for example, may offer exemplary service at a price you can’t afford. Others may prioritize their own bills over your ideal filing schedule. Others still may not represent your best interests in a way that you think is conducive to your case.

You do not need to provide sound reasoning to change from one lawyer to another. While it’s best to be upfront about your desire for new representation–and polite, as well–you can leave an attorney due to lack of chemistry or suspicion of misconduct. You can then take what you learned from your experience with an unsatisfactory lawyer and look for a better match.

Are There Benefits of Changing Accident Lawyers?

Pursuing a civil case of any kind is stressful, even with the best attorney on your side. When you go to work with an attorney that you’re dissatisfied with, it won’t matter what the final result of your claim looks like. If you’re unhappy, the process is going to be unpleasant. The benefits, then, of changing accident attorneys, can be both practical and personal.

These benefits can include:

• Reducing your case-related stress
• Changing perspectives on your losses
• Challenging obstacles that previously barred your path toward compensation
• Defending yourself against intimidation and/or retaliation

Ideally, you want to work with an attorney that you both like and think best analyzes your accident’s losses. If you find that attorney after you’ve started your case, changing lawyers may give you a better shot of receiving the compensation you’re interested in.

Is It Expensive to Change Accident Lawyers?

The economic agreement you come to with a lawyer you’re leaving versus a lawyer you’re hiring is going to differ from case to case. Depending on how far you’ve gotten into a particular case, your previous lawyer may request a percentage of your settlement – albeit reduced from what it might have been had they seen a case through.

You can discuss what it might cost for you to leave a lawyer with your new representation. The attorney you choose to work with for the rest of your case can protect you against unfair attorneys fees and/or hidden costs.

How Can an Accident Lawyer Represent My Losses in Civil Court?

When you bring concerns regarding an accident before a civil court, you do so with an attorney’s assistance. It’s the job of the attorney you choose to:

• Compile information about your accident into a civil complaint
• Defend assertions regarding liability and accident value with concrete evidence
• Defend your position before a civil judge, if applicable
• Arrange settlement negotiations with a liable party, if applicable
• Prevent intimidation and retaliation
• Secure witness statements from experts and bystanders
• Update you as your case progresses

An attorney who does not perform these tasks may not have your best interests at heart. Fortunately, you can take what you learn from a poor experience with an attorney and use that information to find someone who better fits the needs of your case.

When Do I Need to Change Accident Lawyers?

If you want to take legal action with a new attorney, it’s in your best interest to contact that new attorney before a civil trial reaches deliberation. Similarly, contact a new attorney before you agree to any settlement offers a liable party may extend to you.

While there’s no specific deadline by which you need to change lawyers, both of these flagpoles represent the point of no return on a civil case. Accepting a settlement offer may even bar you from further civil action. With that in mind, you need to be careful as to what paperwork you sign and/or what agreements you enter into.

That said, you can address a settled case with a new attorney under certain circumstances. So long as a judge barred your right to compensation and you’re within your statute of limitations, you can appeal a court’s decision with the help of a new lawyer. You can talk to the Morelli Law Firm about the semantics of civil appeals.

Will Changing Accident Lawyers Hurt My Civil Case?

Changing an attorney rarely hurts your civil case. If you’ve undergone a significant portion of your case and found your representation wanting, changing your attorney can even sway a judge’s decision back in your favor.

That said, make sure you discuss the change of attorneys with all parties involved in your case. While you don’t need to go into details as to why you’re changing attorneys–particularly not in conversations with the attorneys that you’re leaving–you should still be upfront about what you want from your newest representatives.

Talk With the Morelli Law Firm Team About Your Personal Injury Accident Representation

There may come a point where the attorney you’ve been working with no longer represents your best interests. If you’re unhappy with your representation in a personal injury case, consider bringing your concerns to the Morelli Law Firm. Our experienced attorneys can assess the trajectory of your case thus far and work to redirect ongoing conversations about your settlement.

You can request more information about our available services by contacting our office today. Request a case evaluation by calling our representatives or filling out our online form.