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Lawyer makes all decisions in divorce case?

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imissPete

Junior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? NY

My mother filed for divorce a few years ago. Her husband made several offers to settle. My mother claims that she wanted to accept the settlement more than once but her lawyer kept refusing to accept and settle the divorce. I know my mother called the lawyer and told her, "I want this to go to trial." She said, the lawyer told her, "Consider it done." and said she would be filing papers to have a trial. The lawyer never filed the papers for the divorce to go to trial. The lawyer also promised my mother that she was going to file for contempt of court but never got around to doing that either.

My mother now has no more money left to pay the lawyer and owes over $40,000 in lawyer fees. The lawyer has dropped her case, refuses to represent her and will not take her calls. She is still legally married.

Is this legal that the lawyer would make all the decisions and the client has no say in the matter? Is there anything my mother can do?
 


Proserpina

Senior Member
What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? NY

My mother filed for divorce a few years ago. Her husband made several offers to settle. My mother claims that she wanted to accept the settlement more than once but her lawyer kept refusing to accept and settle the divorce. I know my mother called the lawyer and told her, "I want this to go to trial." She said, the lawyer told her, "Consider it done." and said she would be filing papers to have a trial. The lawyer never filed the papers for the divorce to go to trial. The lawyer also promised my mother that she was going to file for contempt of court but never got around to doing that either.

My mother now has no more money left to pay the lawyer and owes over $40,000 in lawyer fees. The lawyer has dropped her case, refuses to represent her and will not take her calls. She is still legally married.

Is this legal that the lawyer would make all the decisions and the client has no say in the matter? Is there anything my mother can do?

Please have your Mom come here.

Got some questions for her...and you really can't answer them.
 

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