Do we have CAUSE to sue Lawyer for Negligence?

[Inquiring_Mind_]

Can someone tell me if we have grounds to sue our lawyer that we paid a retainer fee to for an private, independent adoption situation, in which we were paying for the birth mother's monthly expenses. The firm's private investigator never found a criminal record on this individual. There were many red flags with this birth mother, and it was always about money. She contacted us--we began a relationship over the phone and emails daily, and she stated she wanted us to adopt her newborn baby.

Please note--that the birth mother and I connected on our own, via an posted advertisement, and we started telephone and email relationship. Several weeks following, I obtained the lawyer, as we didn't feel comfortable sending the BM money without legal involvement.

Well, on my own, after strenuous internet research, I discovered that this BM had other alias' and had been scamming childless couples out of money for many, many years and had been in federal prison more than once.

Following constant pressure for more wire-transfers to pay for the Birth Mother's monthly expenses, we obtained a lawyer, paid the retainer fee, and all along this person had to have been scamming us--I found article after article after article on this scam artists, and she nearly killed my marriage.

I just made this discovery the other day and left call after call after call for the lawyer. When she eventually returned my call, she wanted to know the manner in which my investigation uncovered all this valuable information, yet her own private investigator or firm never uncovered the BM's criminal history.

Now we are out $6,300.00, and we are far from well off. This has broke us financially, emotionally and mentally and has nearly cost us our marriage. This is the worse feeling in the world.

PLEASE ADVISE!

tHANKS!

 

[Zigner]

You picked her. I'm not sure what negligence you think occurred on the part of the attorney.

 

[tranquility]

I also don't see the attorney's negligence. But, even if there was negligence on his part, the damages related to anything he might have done or not done is negligible and no one would take the case on contingency. Finally, private adoptions can be expensive. If $6,300 has broken you financially, a private adoption is probably not the correct course to take in any event.

 

[Proseguru]

The problem you'll have is getting evidence into trial .. how can you do that with internet information? Hard to do.

 

[las365]

What did you hire the attorney to do? Specifically. What exact services did the written attorney-client agreement say she would perform?

 

[swalsh411]

This is a well known scam and have received extensive media attention.

Also, it doesn't sound like you were financially prepared to have a child in the first place.

 

[Inquiring_Mind_]

Thanks for input - My Responses

All right, yes, we paid out somewhere in the $6,500 range, and I'll correct myself: It did not break out bank accounts; we've been saving up for this and had budgeted to spend more. I suppose our timing was bad because of other major expenses, a home, car, etc., so I deserved that.

Second: The lawyer promised to check this individual out, any crime history, arrests, etc. I thought the lawyer's job was to "protect" us from this sort of thing. Why was I able to uncover all the shocking history, but not a law firm?

I want to be fair, and if indeed we are not entitled to any refund, then I'll leave it alone, but I had to ask.

Thanks for your feedback!

 

[Zigner]

YOU established this relationship. Why didn't YOU check this stuff out before shelling out the money for an attorney?

 

[las365]

Again, what exact services did the written attorney-client agreement say the attorney would perform? You say you want your money back, you have to have a basis for that to succeed.

How much did you pay the scammer before you hired the lawyer?
What services did your written contract with the attorney say the attorney would perform?
What services were performed?
How much did you pay the attorney?
How much money did you pay the scammer after the attorney performed the services?

 

[Hazezack]

I feel your pain

Can someone tell me if we have grounds to sue our lawyer that we paid a retainer fee to for an private, independent adoption situation, in which we were paying for the birth mother's monthly expenses. The firm's private investigator never found a criminal record on this individual. There were many red flags with this birth mother, and it was always about money. She contacted us--we began a relationship over the phone and emails daily, and she stated she wanted us to adopt her newborn baby.

Please note--that the birth mother and I connected on our own, via an posted advertisement, and we started telephone and email relationship. Several weeks following, I obtained the lawyer, as we didn't feel comfortable sending the BM money without legal involvement.

Well, on my own, after strenuous internet research, I discovered that this BM had other alias' and had been scamming childless couples out of money for many, many years and had been in federal prison more than once.

Following constant pressure for more wire-transfers to pay for the Birth Mother's monthly expenses, we obtained a lawyer, paid the retainer fee, and all along this person had to have been scamming us--I found article after article after article on this scam artists, and she nearly killed my marriage.

I just made this discovery the other day and left call after call after call for the lawyer. When she eventually returned my call, she wanted to know the manner in which my investigation uncovered all this valuable information, yet her own private investigator or firm never uncovered the BM's criminal history.

Now we are out $6,300.00, and we are far from well off. This has broke us financially, emotionally and mentally and has nearly cost us our marriage. This is the worse feeling in the world.

PLEASE ADVISE!

tHANKS!

We did private independent, BM always asking for money, she kept saying yes all the time, had baby without telling us, no contact, the mother of BM, even flat out lied about birth, when we had medical records, there were red flags, spent about the same money, and now left with nothing and no recourse, would love to know if Can sue BM for lying about so many things, not custody, but for all the money spent, when she knew she was never going to adopt?

 

[TheGeekess]

We did private independent, BM always asking for money, she kept saying yes all the time, had baby without telling us, no contact, the mother of BM, even flat out lied about birth, when we had medical records, there were red flags, spent about the same money, and now left with nothing and no recourse, would love to know if Can sue BM for lying about so many things, not custody, but for all the money spent, when she knew she was never going to adopt?

If you have a question, please start your own thread instead of necroposting to one where the OP is long long gone.