Top Washington Navy Yard, DC Legal Malpractice Lawyers Near You

Legal Malpractice Allegations

If you believe your lawyer negligently or recklessly represented you in a legal proceeding that resulted in an unfair or unjust outcome, you may have a valid claim of legal malpractice. A Washington Navy Yard Legal Malpractice Attorney can help you determine whether you have a case, and help you recover for your losses.

Legal Malpractice Cases

All lawyers are required to act diligently, ethically, and with vigor in their representation of clients. Unfortunately, various and often unforeseen circumstances can cause an attorney’s representation to be less than adequate, which can result in actual harm and damages to a client. This is known as committing legal malpractice.

Common types of legal malpractice include missing court filings, failing to communicate, allowing conflicts of interest to persist, failure to know the law or perform research, misuse of client trust accounts, and client abandonment.

Top Questions to Ask When Hiring an Attorney

• How many years have you been practicing law? How long have you practiced law in the local area?
• How many cases similar to mine have you handled in the past?
• What is the likely outcome for my case?

In legal practice, experience matters. An experienced attorney will likely have handled issues similar to yours many, many times. Therefore, after listening to your situation, the attorney should have a reasonable idea of the time line for a case like yours and the likely resolution.

What to Expect from an Initial Consultation

• Seek to determine whether the attorney can represent you. There is no one-size-fits-all legal solution and it may turn out your needs are better served by an attorney in a different specialization.
• It’s important to find a legal ally who is both competent in the law and someone you can trust to protect your interests.
• Discuss how the practice’s billing works and discuss possible additional charges or fees that may arise during or after the resolution of your case.

An attorney consultation should provide you with enough information so that you can make an informed decision on whether to proceed with legal help.

How much does it cost to hire an attorney?

In general, how much an attorney costs will often depend on these four factors: billing method and pricing structure, type of legal work performed, law firm prestige, and attorney experience. Depending on the legal issue you are facing, an attorney may bill you by the hour, settle on a flat fee, or enter into a contingency fee agreement. The type of legal work you need help with will also play a role in cost incurred.

Common legal terms explained

Pro se – This Latin term refers to representing yourself in court instead of hiring professional legal counsel. Pro se representation can occur in either criminal or civil cases.

Statute – Refers to a law created by a legislative body. For example, the laws enacted by Congress are statutes.

Subject matter jurisdiction – Requirement that a particular court have authority to hear the claim based on the specific type of issue brought to the court. For example, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court only has subject matter jurisdiction over bankruptcy filings, therefore it does not have the authority to render binding judgment over other types of cases, such as divorce.