When you’ve trusted a lawyer to handle your legal case with honesty, integrity, and diligent care, and they’ve broken that trust and mishandled your case, it can be hard to know how to proceed and who to trust.
At the Tatum Law Firm, PLLC, we work with clients who have been wronged by attorneys and are looking to hold them accountable. If you need a Savannah, GA legal malpractice lawyer you can rely on, look no further than the Tatum Law Firm, PLLC.
If you suspect that your lawyer is mishandling your case, it can be challenging to know how to identify the issue. Sometimes, it is just a feeling you get, or perhaps you have legitimate evidence that they are not pursuing your legal rights and providing diligent care.
Regardless of your situation, it can be helpful to understand the types of scenarios that have come up in the past and given individuals cause to seek legal justice against their lawyer, like the following:
There are many ways in which an attorney can negatively affect their client’s legal claims. It may seem like a helpless situation, but it is not; you have real options to pursue. If there is legal malpractice, a new attorney can work to show that your previous attorney’s breach of duty of care led to your ultimate damage and loss.
All attorneys typically sign a legal agreement before working on a case that affirms this duty of care. If they violate that agreement, they can be held accountable.
At the Tatum Law Firm, PLLC, we understand how shocking it can be to realize that your attorney has not provided honest and trustworthy care in a legal matter that is of high importance to you.
With our experience in protecting clients in Savannah, GA from legal malpractice, we can offer insight into the right actions to take for pursuing justice and restitution from your previous lawyer.
Below is a list of steps to follow that promote your well-being and right to justice:
A: Legal malpractice in Georgia is any wrongful, negligent, or intentional act by an attorney that causes harm and damage to their client. To pursue a legal malpractice claim, the plaintiff has to show that they were the client of a lawyer, that the lawyer failed to uphold their duty of care, and that this breach of their duty of care led to the damages that the client sustained. Like other malpractice claims, the plaintiff must primarily prove fault.
A: An example of legal malpractice is if the attorney had a conflict of interest that affected their work with their client and the type of support the attorney offered them. Conflict of interest can result from a number of causes but, if the attorney shows intentional, unprofessional, or unreasonable treatment to one of their clients, they can be held liable in court.
If you suspect that your attorney is not offering legitimate and fair care, and this led to the downfall of your claim, you may have the right to seek legal action to hold them accountable.
A: The length of time that you have to sue an attorney for malpractice in Georgia is typically four years. A statute of limitations is the legal deadline for any party to pursue legal action after an incident. If an individual passes this deadline, their legal claim may not be seen as viable, which is why it is essential to seek legal action as soon as possible following a malpractice incident.
A: Legal malpractice insurance is not required in Georgia, but it is highly recommended. The state Board of Governors has allowed the purchase of professional liability insurance (PLI), and lawyers have the option to disclose whether they have done so. Malpractice insurance, also known as PLI, generally covers the expenses associated with defending against malpractice and negligence claims, offering protection to attorneys.
If you have been wronged by an attorney’s negligence and malpractice that led to your damages and losses, you may have grounds to pursue a claim against them to hold them accountable for their actions.
At the Tatum Law Firm, PLLC, we offer the legal care and support you might expect from a big law firm but with diligence and personal attention to each case. Reach out today to set up a consultation and learn how we can support you.