California
Our lawyer filed a lawsuit against us for $1400+ for work that he did not inform us was going to be done and that we did not ask for. This is after his $5000 retainer. I specifically told him not to go beyond retainer and I'm not sure what he did for $5000. In CA and in our fee agreement, we are entitled to arbitration. Lawyer claims we waived right to arbitration when he sent notice to arbitrate last year but I never got notice. I've I asked for our case file and bills and he keeps stalling. He also had another lawyer in his office call my girlfriend and tell her I should settle because arbitration costs about $1500 per day per party and we'll have to hire an attorney. I called back this attorney and she said they have proof they gave us notice last year even though the lawsuit was filed this year (a couple weeks ago) and I must have an attorney because they are suing me as an individual and my company thats incorporated. How do I get our case file as well as timesheets? And can he reject arbitration?
Also, when he sent lawsuit papers, we weren't originally properly served. When I questioned this, his office said it doesn't work that way. I ignored it and we were eventually served.
I don't want to go into details about why we hired the lawyer but I feel scammed because a couple days after I signed the retainer, he said it would take atleast $250,000 to litigate against the big corporation we arguing against. I said I did not want to litigate and I feel he ran the clock on us to run out the $5000 retainer and then added $1400 of stuff I never asked for.
Our lawyer filed a lawsuit against us for $1400+ for work that he did not inform us was going to be done and that we did not ask for. This is after his $5000 retainer. I specifically told him not to go beyond retainer and I'm not sure what he did for $5000. In CA and in our fee agreement, we are entitled to arbitration. Lawyer claims we waived right to arbitration when he sent notice to arbitrate last year but I never got notice. I've I asked for our case file and bills and he keeps stalling. He also had another lawyer in his office call my girlfriend and tell her I should settle because arbitration costs about $1500 per day per party and we'll have to hire an attorney. I called back this attorney and she said they have proof they gave us notice last year even though the lawsuit was filed this year (a couple weeks ago) and I must have an attorney because they are suing me as an individual and my company thats incorporated. How do I get our case file as well as timesheets? And can he reject arbitration?
Also, when he sent lawsuit papers, we weren't originally properly served. When I questioned this, his office said it doesn't work that way. I ignored it and we were eventually served.
I don't want to go into details about why we hired the lawyer but I feel scammed because a couple days after I signed the retainer, he said it would take atleast $250,000 to litigate against the big corporation we arguing against. I said I did not want to litigate and I feel he ran the clock on us to run out the $5000 retainer and then added $1400 of stuff I never asked for.