Protecting Your Rights After Attorney Negligence
Losing a case is devastating. Finding out you lost because your own attorney made mistakes is even worse. When you face the consequences of legal malpractice, you need to understand your legal options. The experienced attorneys at Neelon International Law, LLC, help clients throughout Boston, Barnstable County and Cape Cod hold negligent lawyers accountable. We help you recover the compensation you should have received in your original case.
Not every bad outcome equals malpractice. However, when an attorney’s negligence causes you to lose your case or receive less money than you deserved, you may have grounds for a claim. Our firm can help recover significant damages for clients harmed by attorney negligence.
What Constitutes Legal Malpractice?
Legal malpractice happens when an attorney’s negligence causes you financial harm. Massachusetts law requires proof that your attorney fell below the professional standard of care. You must also show that this failure directly caused you damages.
The most common types of legal malpractice the firm handles include:
- Missed deadlines: The attorney failed to file your case on time
- Failure to know the law: The lawyer made basic legal errors
- Conflict of interest: The attorney represented opposing interests without telling you
- Poor investigation: The lawyer failed to gather critical evidence
- Abandonment: The attorney stopped responding or missed court dates
- Settlement errors: The lawyer accepted a settlement without your permission
- Drafting errors: Mistakes in contracts or estate documents caused financial losses
These mistakes can cost you hundreds of thousands of dollars in lost money and extra legal fees.
What You Must Prove In A Legal Malpractice Case
Massachusetts requires proof of four elements. First, an attorney-client relationship existed. Second, the attorney fell below the professional standard of care. Third, you must prove the “case-within-a-case” concept. This means showing you would have won or gotten a better result without the negligence. Fourth, you suffered actual financial harm, such as lost money or added legal fees.
Legal malpractice cases are complex. You must prove two cases at once. The experienced legal malpractice attorneys at Neelon International Law, LLC, have the knowledge and experience to handle both layers of proof.