More often than we’d expect, we get calls from injury victims telling us that their Virginia car accident attorney won’t return their calls. And they ask us what we think they should do. In the video above, James explains his thoughts.
No, our answer is not: fire them and hire us!
Switching attorneys in the middle of a case can cause unnecessary stress and complication. It may also harm your bargaining position as an insurance adjuster or defense attorney may interpret the change in representation as a weakness. Given that, as James discusses, we recommend you reach out to your attorney and ask for an in-person (or Zoom) meeting to have a frank discussion about their seeming lack of communication.
If they still don’t respond, put your request in writing and with a deadline.
To be clear, attorneys should be responsive to their clients. For us, it’s about mutual respect. When client’s make reasonable and logical requests, attorneys should be responsive. If your attorney still fails to respond, we’d recommend making the request to meet in-person (or by Zoom) in writing and place a deadline for them to response.
After all, you have a right to competent representation, which includes open communication. If an attorney is unwilling to meet your needs, it is your case. And you have a right to choose an attorney that will do their job.
No, you should not expect your attorney to be at your “beck and call.”
Of course, attorneys need to be responsive. However, you should not expect an attorney to drop everything they are doing and respond to your calls, texts, and emails instantaneously and at every hour of the day. Good attorneys are busy because they are hard to find and in high demand. So, when deciding what to do next, just remember that you should expect “reasonable” communication, not “instantaneous” responses.
Our rule of thumb is treat your attorney the same way you’d like to be treated. It’s funny how the “Golden Rule,” keeps coming back around no matter how old we get!
Still have questions?
Make sure to reach out to Abrenio Law for your Free Consultation. You can call us at Ph. 703-570-4180. To learn more about Owner James Abrenio click here. You can also read his real client reviews here.