If you specifically hire an attorney, can that attorney hand your case off to a junior partner without your ok?
Sunday, April 25th, 2010 at
1:40 am
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I interviewed and hired my attorney based on his experience and credentials, but then he passed my case to a junior partner in the firm without my knowledge or permission and I do not feel the partner buying medicine online knows what the heck he is doing.
Technically, hiring an attorney should entail signing an engagement letter. If your attorney is a member of a firm, then that engagement letter will invariably say that some work may be performed by other members of the firm, often (but not necessarily) under the supervision of the lead attorney.
From what you have stated in your question here, I would suggest that you don’t worry about whether this hand-off is "allowed." Instead, simply tell the original attorney that you don’t like this arrangement. Tell him you don’t have confidence in the second attorney. Most likely a solution satisfactory to you can be reached. You are the customer, you pay the bills.
Good luck.
You hired the firm, not the attorney. You can complain to the senior partners or find another attorney.
well there are some remedial tasks that partners do not need to deal with and from a billing standpoint in makes more sense for the Jr to do it. Have you worked in a law firm before -
that’s right you are paying the bills – and if you want a seasoned trial lawyer to fill out your subpoenas, or conduct discovery which all 1st year associates perform – then get ready for a nice fat bill.
That’s called bait and switch. The jerk doesn’t even know it’s worng.
Welcome to america, a nation of marketer’s and lawers.
Yes, actually he can if your contract that you signed with him states that he can. Many do. Most times, when you are working with a lawyer in a firm, you are actually being represented by the "firm", giving the firm the ability to put whomever on the case. I understand that you were probably thinking that whomever you had your initial consultation with would be the one handling your case, but many times, that is notthe case. What you can do is speak with the attorney you initially consulted with and tell him you are dissatisfied with the work that is being done on your case. Tell him that you would prefer that your case not be treated as a "teaching" experience for a junior partner and see request that you recieve his assistance, or sign release of lien (lawyers will put a lien on what the courts award you if you are seking damages. This prevents you from taking the case from you and trying to hand it off to another attorney)and let you find another attorney. Best of luck..