Legal Question about crap lawyer

Otherground
#1

Here is the breakdown of my recent situation.

 

TL:DR-Crap lawyer, divorce should have been final on 06/07, based on incompetence the earliest possible date it will be done now is 08/21. Need advice on how to proceed

Details.

Called law office under my works legal plan on 04/28.

Set appt for 05/02.

Uncontested divorce, lawyer says papers will be ready 05/05, can be signed by both parties that day, filed monday 05/08.
Will sit in front of judge for 30 days, divorce should be final on 06/07.


What actually happened:

Papers weren't ready until 05/26 (3 weeks late)

Papers wre supposed to be filed on Tuesday after holiday 05/30, they were actually filed on 06/08.

Lawyer left an affidavit out that I needed to be signed, so I'm not sure if they rejected the paperwork on 06/08 or at some point sent it back to the law office.

Law office never contacted me via phone/email/voicemail.

I contacted them starting 07/05 because it was past the 30 day mark of allegedly being filed.

Called several days leaving messages for my attorney. Finally today I go off on the admin, she gets me to the paralegal.

She advises me about the affidavit being left out, and that once I sign it they can file officially and start the 30 day wait period, to which I asked “HOW LONG HAVE YOU HAD/KNOWN THIS WITHOUT CONTACTING ME?” she had no answer to this

I asked why my calls weren't returned, she replied that once the attorney drew up the paperwork it was passed to her, the interpretation was that he was no longer involved in my case and couldn't be bothered with calling back or even passing it onto to his PL.

She then advises she can email me the affidavit and I can respond and say I authorize her to sign for me, I declined because that sounds sketchy and could screw up the process. I faxed the document tonight.

So now *IF* they file it tomorrow the earliest I could be done with my divorce is 08/21.
 

What recourse do I have for their negligent action? The pain and suffering of having to deal with this process not being completed when it was advised it would be? Now having to tell my soon to be ex that she's got another month before it's official hopefully?

 

#2

I'm already planning on lobbying the legal plan team to drop them from a list of options, not sure if that will happen or not.

#3

Not much recourse for you tbh. 

You can file a grievance with the state bar, make the lawyer's life hell. Do you want to do that?

#4

You could sue them, but then you'll need a good lawyer....so....

#5

MMA Playwright - 

Not much recourse for you tbh. 

You can file a grievance with the state bar, make the lawyer's life hell. Do you want to do that?



I don't want to screw the guy over, I just feel like I can't let this go and not somehow get the word out about the way they handled the case.



I feel weird about posting on sites that rate them about the experience because I don't know what kind of legal backlash could ensue.

#6

TryhardNobody - 

Gee i cant imagine why anyone would wana divorce you. You seem pleasant. Maybe you can sue the judge too in a class action suit



Oh, that cuts so deep.



Sorry sally, I filed for the divorce, dropped a horrible shrew who gained 70 pounds in recent years and now I'm with a 26 year old who is light years better.



 



Nothing wrong with being upset about a process taking 2+ months longer than it was when payment was exchanged for services.

#7

Email the lawyer with your list of issues, explain how this is totally unacceptable. If he doesn't respond in a good way, report him to bar

#8

Mencken - Email the lawyer with your list of issues, explain how this is totally unacceptable. If he doesn't respond in a good way, report him to bar

Solid advice.

Could you imagine having this dipshit and his firm if it was an acrimonious divorce? You're lucky this was the extend of the damage.

#9

As mentioned above, the state's Bar association.

Wish I had done that on at-least one occasion.

#10

To successfully sue you need to prove loss and/or significant pain and suffering.

If it's cost a lot of extra money you'd have some case, the 'pain and suffering' part might be difficult if your sum total is 'had to make some extra phone calls and it pissed me off they filed paperwork a few weeks late'.