It is safe to say that the vast majority of attorneys do not intentionally take advantage of their clients. Certainly, as in any profession, there are a few “bad apples” in the bunch who intentionally take advantage of their clients for monetary gain or some other advantage. But far more often than not, if an attorney is taking advantage of his or her client, that attorney is doing so unintentionally.

It is therefore important to understand the warning signs that an attorney may be unintentionally taking advantage of you. That attorney could be genuinely concerned for you, invested in your case and could have the best of intentions. However, if an attorney is unintentionally taking advantage of you, it may be beneficial for you to take your case elsewhere.

Attorneys are bound by law to advocate for their clients. However, not every attorney’s approach translates into effective advocacy. If an attorney seems overly confident, this is not generally a good sign. Confidence in a case is generally a good thing. However, if an attorney seems overly confident and this confidence is not supported by facts, that confidence may be a red flag.

Similarly, if your attorney promises you a specific outcome, this is not generally a good sign, as no attorney can tell the future. Outcome-related promises regarding contentious matters may be a sign that your attorney is unintentionally taking advantage of you.

Please check back in as we will continue our discussion on this important topic in future posts.

Source: The Huffington Post, “6 Ways Your Divorce Lawyer Is Screwing You,” Elura Nanos, June 8, 2015