People hire lawyers to help them with a legal problem. When clients seek that help, they put their trust and faith in that lawyer. In return, clients expect sound advice and diligent advocacy. If a lawyer fails to live up to acceptable legal standards, then the lawyer may be liable - or guilty - of legal malpractice. 

Perhaps the lawyer makes a mistake. Lawyers, like anyone else, are certainly capable of mistakes. For instance, a lawyer may fail to properly perform research regarding the law involved in a client's case. Or a lawyer may fail to timely file a client's lawsuit. Or a lawyer may fail to follow a court's orders or rules. If a lawyer makes one of those mistakes or other mistakes pertaining to their client's matter, that lawyer may be liable - or guilty - of legal malpractice. 

Perhaps the lawyer fails to follow rules of professional conduct. Every lawyer must abide by rules of professional conduct that outline standards of behavior and conduct. Those standards are incredibly important for a lawyer to follow. For instance, lawyers have the responsibility and the duty to: communicate with their clients, maintain client confidentiality, and avoid conflicts of interest. If a lawyer fails to follow those rules of professional conduct conduct, that lawyer may be liable - or guilty - of legal malpractice.

The most common ways a lawyer commits legal malpractice can be viewed here. Plain and simple, when a lawyer fails his or her client in some form or fashion, a client may bring a “legal malpractice” lawsuit against their lawyer. “Legal malpractice” refers to any lawsuit brought by a client against that client’s lawyer.

In that "legal malpractice" lawsuit, the client may assert different “claims” against their lawyer. The claims that may be brought against the lawyer include negligence, breach of fiduciary duty, breach of contract, violations of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act, fraud, and so on.

An aggrieved client that has been harmed by their lawyer's actions or inactions should seek to to hire a malpractice lawyer to handle his or her matter. Legal malpractice cases are complex cases and need an experienced legal malpractice lawyer - like Nicholas Pierce - who has been involved in litigation against some of the biggest and most aggressive law firms in Texas.

A claim for legal malpractice must be made within a defined period of time. While that time period varies depending on the claims made, most legal malpractice claims must be brought within two years. Time is of the essence.

If you have been the victim of legal malpractice, it is important that you CONTACT US at The Pierce Law Firm for a free consultation. Attorney Nicholas Pierce reviews every submitted form and responds within 48 hours.