People in Cincinnati and throughout Hamilton County seek legal guidance every day. Regardless of whether a person is trying to get workers’ compensation benefits, deal with the wrongful death of a loved one, or even a personal injury claim, it is crucial that they are provided competent and effective legal representation. Although lawyers have extensive education and often respectable experience, there are instances where claimants suffer as a result of their negligent and reckless actions.

When lawyers fail to provide responsive, effective, and timely legal representation to clients, it can have a detrimental impact on a person’s ability to protect their legal rights and best interests. When people are unable to pursue legal actions or have experienced the damaging impact of legal malpractice, it is imperative that they seek assistance from a team of respectable and trusted attorneys as soon as possible.

The legal malpractice attorneys at The Green Law Firm in Cincinnati recognize how distressing it can be to be a victim of legal malpractice. As experienced malpractice attorneys, we have helped thousands of people and companies throughout Hamilton County. If you believe that your lawyer committed legal malpractice while representing you, it is crucial that you contact our law firm as soon as possible. It is in your best interest to speak with our reputable and knowledgeable attorneys to ensure your legal rights are protected.

Understanding Legal Malpractice in Cincinnati

In Ohio, attorneys are considered to have engaged in legal malpractice when he or she fails to provide legal services to their clients that meet the acceptable minimum standard of care. As a result of their failure to provide acceptable services, clients suffer damages in some way. Receiving poor results from your attorney does not, in itself, constitute legal malpractice. Many people who feel like they are the victims of legal malpractice consider firing their attorneys before reaching out to legal malpractice lawyers in their area. This may not always be a good idea. It is crucial to first consult with a reputable legal malpractice attorney. This will help you to determine if you were subjected to legal malpractice. A consultation can also help determine legal options available for you moving forward.

It is imperative that you meet specific conditions to qualify for a legal malpractice claim. If you were subjected to legal malpractice, you may be able to recover damages for the harm you were forced to endure as a result of a negligent attorney’s actions. Working with a qualified legal malpractice attorney in Cincinnati will ensure your legal rights are protected and get the justice you deserve.

Common Types of Legal Malpractice Claims We Handle

There are a plethora of claims made by individuals who are subjected to legal malpractice. When clients suffer as a result of the attorneys representing them, it is only right that they are able to hold them accountable for their negligent actions. In Cincinnati, legal malpractice takes many forms. Some of the most common complaints clients have about their attorneys include but are not limited to:

• Being ignored by the attorney for an extended period
• Having the case dismissed due to the attorney failing to meet deadlines
• The attorney failing to recommend or refusing to negotiate a settlement
• The attorney settling a case for a client without their authorization
• A client observing their attorney socializing or engaging with the opponent’s attorney
• When attorneys misuse retainer money

Clients who wish to pursue legal malpractice claims against attorneys who engaged in negligent, reckless, or careless conduct while representing them must be able to show that an attorney-client relationship existed. This is typically shown by providing a copy of a written agreement or contract. The agreement or written contract demonstrates that the attorney had a legal duty to provide you with a specific standard of care.

After demonstrating that the relationship existed, you must then prove that the attorney breached their duty of care and that the breach of the duty directly caused you to sustain financial losses. Proving that an attorney breached their duty of care is done in a manner similar to proving a medical malpractice case. Attorneys are required to exercise skill, care, and diligence while representing their clients. The level of representation must be on-par with representation that other attorneys in similar conditions and circumstances would provide. Proving financial losses due to the breach can be challenging. To do so, it is imperative that you are able to demonstrate that, had the attorney not acted negligently or wrongfully, you would have prevailed or been successful in your case.

Although any attorney can be subjected to a legal malpractice claim, these cases are most likely to be filed against personal injury attorneys in the United States. If you were subjected to legal malpractice, contact our law firm today to schedule a free case evaluation to explore options available for you.

Categories of Legal Malpractice

There is an overabundance of actions that constitute malpractice when it comes to the provision of legal representation. Clients enter into situations with attorneys where they personally lack knowledge on how to proceed legally. They select attorneys who are supposed to be well-educated and have expansive knowledge on the given topic. Although we want to believe that attorneys always provide top-quality representation for clients, there are instances where they fail to do so. The following actions are commonly cited in legal malpractice claims in Hamilton County:

Errors in Communication

While working with an attorney, communication is imperative. Poor communication can have a jeopardizing impact on an attorney-client relationship. There are many instances where clients are subjected to legal malpractice such as when their attorneys refuse to return calls, do not show evidence in support of the reason for the lack of communication, and as a result of attorneys failing to inform their clients of the details of what is happening with their claims. The failure to keep a client informed is the leading cause of legal malpractice claims in the United States. When attorneys do not provide relevant information to their clients, and it has a damaging impact on their legal case, they may have the option to file a legal malpractice lawsuit against their attorney.

Failure to Know and Apply the Law

Given the education and requirements to practice law, it is assumed that an attorney understands all of the pertinent areas of law they claim to practice and how to apply the law to each case efficiently. If your attorney is not well-versed in the specific area of law, fails to keep up with changes that have been made to the law, or fails to apply the law correctly while handling your case, it can be grounds for a claim against them for legal malpractice.

Lack of Consent

Although clients retain the legal guidance of attorneys when it comes to handling their legal matters, this does not provide the attorneys with the blanket ability to make decisions on their behalf. A lawyer must always gain consent from their client before taking any legal actions on their behalf. The client outlines any objectives they have while the attorney puts together a legal strategy for their case. During this time, the client can voice their concerns and objectives. Attorneys are unable to proceed without the approval of the client. When attorneys act illegally without the written or verbal consent of their clients, they can be held liable for any resulting damages.

Fraud Cases

Although we like to believe attorneys always have the best interests of their clients in mind, there are numerous instances where attorneys provide services and deceive their clients or others involved to obtain unlawful gains. If you believe that your attorney is providing fraudulent representation and services to you, it is crucial that you seek assistance from a legal malpractice attorney in Cincinnati as soon as possible.

The Failure to Follow Instructions

Taking legal actions without the expressed written or verbal consent of a client, or failing to following instructions given by a client while handling their case, can be grounds for legal malpractice. Clients are hiring attorneys to work for them and represent them in their legal matters. Given the situation, attorneys are obligated to follow their clients’ instructions or advise them of the best course of action. If the attorney feels that carrying out the wishes of a client would not be beneficial, they can voice their opinion about it but they ultimately have to follow their client’s instructions.

Errors in Strategies or Plans

If clients suffer losses as a result of improper planning or inadequate strategies, attorneys can be held liable for negligence. In general, errors that are related to planning and strategizing are viewed as errors in judgment on how an attorney should have handled the matter for a client.

Conflicts of Interests

Although we retain the assistance of attorneys to represent our best interests, there are instances where attorneys put their own interests ahead of the client. This constitutes a conflict of interest, which can be deemed malpractice. Other instances include when attorneys put the best interest of one client above that of another. Examples of a conflict of interest include cases where attorneys represent a plaintiff while having some type of relationship with a member of the opposing party, representing two parties on the same side of a dispute with conflicting interests, engaging in misconduct, or failing to provide full disclosure to a client.

If you were provided negligent legal representation, and it had a damaging impact on your ability to protect your legal rights, contact our law firm today. The legal malpractice attorneys at The Green Law Firm have decades of experience helping clients get the justice and compensation they deserve.

Statistics Surrounding Legal Malpractices Cases

There are many instances of negligence that provide grounds to clients for legal malpractice claims. Although these claims can arise out of a variety of circumstances, there are certain trends we continue to see with legal malpractice cases in Cincinnati. These include:

• Legal malpractice claims are most commonly filed against personal injury and real estate attorneys
• Roughly 40% of all legal malpractice claims involve some type of administrative error, like missing a crucial filing deadline
• Nearly 14% of all legal malpractice claims surround the failure to know or properly apply the law
• Roughly 14% of all legal malpractice claims surround client relationship issues (failing to obtain consent, improper withdrawal, failure to follow instruction, etc.)
• Claims surrounding errors, procrastination, lost files, evidence and procrastination in performance, and various other attorney arrears has increased the most
• Nearly 10% of all legal malpractice claims involved intentional wrongs by attorneys (civil rights violations, abuse of process, slander, fraud, libel, slander, etc.)

The Green Law Firm Can Help You

People who need legal help should never have to worry about the lawyers they choose to represent them in their legal claim or that the attorney is keeping their best interests in mind. Unfortunately, there are instances where claimants are taken advantage of. When people are subjected to legal malpractice, the attorneys at The Green Law Firm are here for them.

For over four decades, The Green Law Firm’s legal malpractice attorneys in Cincinnati, Ohio have fought diligently to protect the legal rights and best interests of claimants throughout Hamilton County. Our team strives to provide the most competent, trusted, and effective legal services to our clients. The Green Law Firm maintains open and honest communication with our clients for the duration of the legal claim. We remain available to answer any questions our clients may have about their claims and the legal process surrounding their case. If you are in need of aggressive and effective legal services, from a proven and knowledgeable team of Cincinnati legal malpractice attorneys, contact The Green Law Firm today by calling (513) 769-0840. Our team is available to discuss legal options available for you at your earliest convenience.