I fired my other attorney because they failed to do what I wanted them to do. Will you take my case?

Sometimes representation does not work out. The personality type and work strategy of client and attorney can sometimes cause a rift that makes continuing the relationship impossible. If things go sour in this relationship, it is better to terminate representation early rather than stay in it. I think that this is true for both attorneys and clients.

If the cause for discontinuing the attorney client relationship is a disagreement as to case strategy, I will consider taking on the case. If the reason is “they don’t return my calls” or “I haven’t been paid” is the reason, I usually will pass on accepting the case.I typically do not accept cases previously been worked on by other attorneys (unless it is as a co-counsel).

It is my general policy to not take on cases that are currently being worked on by another attorney unless I am asked by that attorney to help. In only the rarest of circumstances will I take a case on that the client believes his lawyer is not handling properly.

Clients have asked me in the past if I would report a prior attorney's conduct to the bar. That is something that is best done by the client if they believe their attorney engaged mal-practice. I would only notify the bar of an attorney’s conduct if it is egregious or otherwise mandated the rules of professional responsibility. In other words, they would have to do something pretty egregious for me to get involved in a bar complaint.

From my experience, most attorneys in St. Louis operate with a respect for their clients and the law. I do not want to get involved in a case that another attorney has diligently worked on and will not comment on another attorney’s professional judgment. For this reason, I usually decline requests to work on cases that have been met with dissatisfaction.