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charlie

Guest
Sounds like an opening line of yet another attorney joke, but for us it's no joke.

In September of last year, my brother and I engaged the services of an attorney in Watkins Glen, New York, to handle the estate of our dead father.

After months of trying, we are unable to get accurate updates on the status of the process and amount of attorney fees accrued.

This attorney won't return phone calls and has failed to perform as he initially said he would.

The simple solution is, of course, fire him and get someone who wants to work. However, it is a modest estate of several thousand dollars and a small parcel of land, which means we could be paying more in attorney fees than we would receive in return.

To further complicate the issue both my brother and I live too far away to personally confront this attorney.

Question: To whom do we lodge a complaint against this guy? And is it likely to do any good?

Sincere thanks,

MP
 


ALawyer

Senior Member
You picked the best approach. You might send the current lawyer a letter, stating that you are extremely dissatisfied, you want to replace him, to stop "working" on your file as you intend to find another lawyer. That may spur the lawyer into being responsive. Then do it.

Handling an estate is not rocket science. In fact it is usuaully so simple that a marginally competent lawyer can handle it. There are some things that take time -- such as making sure the time has passed for creditors to come out of the woodwork, and to resolve state and federal estate tax issues. (If the estate is taxable sometimes that can take a lot of time.)

If you pick a new lawyer she will split up the fees with the old one you are not satisfied with. The total fee should remain the same.

Getting the disciplinary body (the Grievance Committee of the Appellate Division of the State Supreme Court, 3rd Department, located in Albany) is not the answer absent real bad conduct. And mentioning it scares off other lawyers who may think of you as a potentially dangerous, vindictive client, who might turn on them next.

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This is intended as general information only and NOT LEGAL ADVICE. You are not my client, and I have no obligation of any kind to you. To retain a lawyer, go to http://AttorneyPages.com
 
C

charlie

Guest
Good advice. Thank you.

You picked the best approach. You might send the current lawyer a letter, stating that you are extremely dissatisfied, you want to replace him, to stop "working" on your file as you intend to find another lawyer. That may spur the lawyer into being responsive. Then do it.

Handling an estate is not rocket science. In fact it is usuaully so simple that a marginally competent lawyer can handle it. There are some things that take time -- such as making sure the time has passed for creditors to come out of the woodwork, and to resolve state and federal estate tax issues. (If the estate is taxable sometimes that can take a lot of time.)

If you pick a new lawyer she will split up the fees with the old one you are not satisfied with. The total fee should remain the same.

Getting the disciplinary body (the Grievance Committee of the Appellate Division of the State Supreme Court, 3rd Department, located in Albany) is not the answer absent real bad conduct. And mentioning it scares off other lawyers who may think of you as a potentially dangerous, vindictive client, who might turn on them next.

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