Firing an attorney

[Anonymous]

Hello. I am very disappointed with the lawyer I hired to submit a petition to become successor guardian of a minor’s estate. The petition has been filed, including all of the consents required by the court.
Can I terminate the relationship with the lawyer at this point and represent myself? Do I have to do this via certified mail?
I greatly appreciate any advice.

[Anonymous]

What does your engagement letter say?

[Anonymous]

NP. We didn't have any sort of written agreement. He was greedy. We simply quit consulting with him, and that was the end of that.

[Anonymous]

You can fire your lawyer at any time. I'd do it in writing (email is fine) and ask for a copy of your file. Whether you can represent yourself is a different question.

[Anonymous]

If you paid a retainer, you could ask for an accounting of how much he billed against it.

[Anonymous]

You have already gotten reasonable advice about the termination of your relationship.

One thing -- I find a lot of people are disappointed with their lawyers because the lawyer fails to produce fast results. Especially with estates, the lawyer has no control and this process takes a long time.

[Anonymous]

Just curious here, OP, but, can you reveal whether the attorney is a racial minority or white?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just curious here, OP, but, can you reveal whether the attorney is a racial minority or white?

Not sure why it matters or why you want to know unless you just assume that a minority lawyer is not competent.