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Legal Malpractice 101
Posted by: Jason Reese
September 15, 2009
Topic: Legal Malpractice
Just as medical providers have a "standard of care" they must uphold in their area of expertise, lawyers have a similar "standard of care" that they agree to maintain when entering into an attorney-client relationship. When you hire an attorney in Indiana to pursue and/or file a claim, you have faith in the fact that the attorney will provide the guidance and professional skill necessary to render that service. Anything below that "standard of care" is legal malpractice.
What are the professional responsibilities of a lawyer? It is the main responsibility of an attorney to represent you ethically, zealously, and within the bounds of the law. Your relationship with your attorney should be completely confidential. It is also the responsibility of an attorney to communicate to their clients in a timely manner and meet all deadlines within the scope of a particular case.
Because there is both an attorney and a client in this relationship, you also have an obligation to uphold the terms of a signed contract. It is important that you attend all legal proceedings and provide your attorney with truthful, accurate information.
At Wagner, Reese and Crossen, in addition to Legal Malpractice, our main areas of practice fall under Worker's Compensation, Personal Injury, and Medical Malpractice. If you hired an attorney in Indiana to pursue a lawsuit in any of the three above mentioned areas of law and that attorney failed to meet the "standard of care," please contact our office toll-free at (800) 792-0332.
