Can I Hire a New Divorce Attorney If Mine Is Not Helping Me?

 Posted on September 27,2022 in Divorce

Imagine you are in the middle of a divorce. The stakes are high, and you are worried about whether you will get a fair property settlement and a fair custody arrangement, to say nothing about how long the process might drag on. Suddenly, you begin to suspect your attorney is not pulling their weight - despite paying them on time, he or she seems sloppy, unprepared, or uninformed. You hear from their office less and less. 

Unfortunately, for some people seeking a divorce in Texas, this hypothetical situation is all too real, leaving them desperately scrambling for competent legal representation at the worst time possible. Fortunately, Texas law does allow you to switch your attorney in the middle of divorce - but if you choose to change your attorney, take care to ensure that doing so will not negatively affect your case. 

What Is a Texas Divorce Attorney Supposed to Do? 

Some people hold off on replacing an attorney who seems incompetent because they are unsure of what an attorney’s responsibilities are supposed to cover. At a minimum, you should expect the following from a divorce lawyer: 

• Your lawyer has a plan and a strategy for your case.
• Your lawyer informs you of your realistic options under Texas law.
• Your lawyer has requested all the necessary documents from your spouse.
• Your lawyer has gotten copies of financial agreements, accounts, and regulations so you have a realistic idea of what the property division will entail.
• Your lawyer has recommended whether you need any outside experts.
• Your lawyer should be willing to negotiate and settle unless there is a good reason not to.
• Your lawyer responds promptly and keeps you informed of what is going on in your case. If more than a few days regularly go by without hearing back from your lawyer, there may be a problem.

While your attorney is not a therapist or friend, he or she should be responsive, communicative, and clear. If you are not sure whether your attorney is meeting their obligations to you, you can schedule a consultation with other divorce attorneys to get their opinion and find out whether a different firm may be a better fit for you. 

Schedule a Free Consultation with a Collin County, TX Divorce Lawyer

If you are in the middle of a divorce and your attorney is failing to respond to your calls or emails, arriving unprepared to meetings, or missing important dates, consider scheduling a free consultation with the The Law Office of Linda Risinger. If you need to switch attorneys, we will get up to speed on your case as soon as possible and offer you the assertive, experienced representation you need from a Frisco divorce lawyer. Call us today at 972-294-6533. 

Source: 

https://www.familyeducation.com/life/choosing-divorce-lawyer/what-your-divorce-lawyer-should-be-doing-when