How to Get Rid of Attorneys

Well, if you are sure that your attorney is not doing the job he or she was hired by you to do, most of the time you can get rid of that lawyer and find yourself another one. But you have to start at the beginning. Why do you feel that this professional relationship is not working out? What's your evidence that it's not working out? Take all of these thoughts and all of the evidence that you believe backs them, and write them all down.

Next, make sure that you read the proxy agreement or whatever kind of contract that you have with your attorney. This is because you need to know if you will owe your attorney any money for ending your contract. You might also be contracted to have to take some special measures to end your professional relationship with your present lawyer.


After you've read over your signed agreement with your attorney, it's best to talk to him or her in private and express your doubts and your grievances. You might be able to resolve your issues through discussion, and if you can, then that's best. First of all, if you can't do that, then you've thrown away money on a lawyer who didn't give you the help that you need and paid for. For another thing, if you do owe him or her money when you terminate your work together before the case is closed, you won't have to pay that out. Talking could also get the problems straightened out, and if that happens then he or she is the best person to pick up the pieces and move on with you. If you do get rid of him or her and another lawyer has to take the place, no matter how good he or she is, time will have to be spent getting familiar with your case and those are billable hours. Then there's the possibility that your lawyer is doing a great job but that you have misunderstood actions up to this point. If that's the case, you need to hear him or her out.

If you are still sure that you need to get rid of your attorney, before you fire him or her you need to talk to other attorneys. Your lawyer has no need to know about this—it's your private affair. If you can find a new lawyer who makes you feel more confident, you must hire him or her first before you fire your current lawyer. This way you have secured your case's future without putting yourself in a position where you'll have to be without legal counsel. If you are using a court-appointed attorney, you will have to petition the court to get you a new one. This is one area where it becomes very important that you have written examples of your gripes with your lawyer—because the judge will want to know why you are making a petition for a new attorney.

If you go through with getting rid of your attorney, mail him or her a written letter by certified mail stating the specific reasons why you can't work together any further. If you possibly can, write dates into your letter that help you document specific times when you have been at odds with one another. Remember, an attorney doesn't like being let go without finishing the case and getting paid as much as possible. It can hurt pride and possibly a professional reputation to be let go by a client, too. The fired lawyer might try to bring a legal suit against you and you have to prove that you took legitimate action.