Legal Ethics in Orange County
Legal ethics refers to an ethical code that should be upheld by lawyers as well as other employees in the legal profession such as paralegals and private investigators. Orange County legal ethics are dictated by the state of California’s specific code of ethics.
When you suspect that your lawyer is in violation of California’s code of legal ethics, you must bring a complaint against that lawyer. This complaint is reviewed by a Grievance Committee. Sometimes, though, further action is required if the lawyer in question has caused any kind of damages. That is where an experienced legal ethics law firm in Orange County can step in and help you recover from the damages brought on by poor legal counsel.
Questionable legal ethics can arise in many forms, including the following:
- Client Neglect – not returning phone calls or answering correspondences
- Conflicts of Interest – a lawyer may not be defending a client to the best of his or her ability due to some kind of allegiance to the opposition
- Fraudulent Activity – forged documents, doctored evidence, or dishonorable witnesses
- Lawyer Fees – improper billing for services rendered
Legal Malpractice Law in Orange County
Legal malpractice refers to a situation where a lawyer or legal professional failed to provide appropriate legal representation. This does not simply mean that the lawyer lost your case, since many other factors determine the outcome of a legal matter. For a legal malpractice case to be successful, you must prove the following:
- Your lawyer provided inaccurate or unnecessary legal counsel, or performed inappropriate actions.
- The lawyer’s negligent behavior negatively affected you. In other words, the lawyer must have caused some sort of damage to you that was not there before.
Legal malpractice comes in many forms. The most common types of legal malpractice include the following:
- Missing court deadlines
- Failing to resolve conflicts of interest
- Withdrawing from representation
- Improper knowledge of the law and legal proceedings
- Over billing of services rendered
- Acting outside of the statute of limitations, which is the given amount of time that legal proceedings can be brought about for a specific event
- Unacceptable communication with a client, including not returning phone calls or responding to correspondences
If you suspect that your lawyer did not perform his or her basic duties as a legal professional, it is highly recommended that you speak to an experienced legal malpractice lawyer. Lawyers who are well-versed in Orange County legal malpractice law will be able to help determine if you should pursue a legal malpractice case.
Contact Klein & Wilson
To speak with our experienced attorneys about legal malpractice matters, e-mail Klein & Wilson today or call us at toll free (888) 341-1462 for a consultation.
