My Lawyer is Suing Me for Unpaid Fees – 4 Ways to Deal With!

A dispute between a lawyer and a client is often undeniable. And in car-related cases, it is a very common occurrence. The conclusion is unpaid fees, forcing the lawyer to file a legal complaint against the client. So, if you say my lawyer is suing me for unpaid fees, it sounds overwhelming. You might become worried, as he or she knows the law better than you. But we ask you not to get too tense. Some strategic thinking and approaches can resolve the situation effectively. Let’s dive deeper.

Why Do Clients Don’t Pay the Attorney?

Well, you are not alone. We examined the “My Lawyer Is Suing Me for Unpaid Fees” context in detail and found tons of such cases in which lawyers took legal action against the client for not receiving the due payment. In some cases, the lawyer won, while in others, the judge ruled in favor of the client. However, we have discovered some common reasons why clients do not pay fees.

  1. The client was going through financial hardship.
  2. An attorney was involved in malpractice.
  3. The attorney was secretly taking money from the opposition.
  4. The client received a guarantee of a winning case while hiring the lawyer but failed to get one.
  5. The client had already paid, but the lawyer illegally added some money.
  6. The lawyer dragged the case out to increase the bill.
  7. The lawyer missed a lot of hearing dates, but those fees were also included.
  8. And many more.

Related Article: What to Do If My Attorney Colluded with the Other Side?

What You Can Do If Your Lawyer Sues You?

Whether the lawyer has verbally threatened you or you are sensing that you are going to face a legal issue (for not paying the fees), just take a deep breath. Now, check the possible strategies you can apply in such a case.

My Lawyer is Suing Me for Unpaid Fees

1. Mutually Settle the Issue

Surely, getting sued is not only a hassle for you. It is also a hectic task for your attorney. He or she has to spend a lot of money, time, and effort to deal with this. So, give him or her a call and arrange a meeting. Discuss the disputable issues and explain the reason why you have not paid yet. Listen to the response of the attorney. If you find the reasoning logical, it is better to make the payment. Again, if you are not satisfied with the reasoning, boldly state that with appropriate logic. Finally, try to form a win-win situation.

2. Get a Mediator’s Help

Eventually, disputative situations become overheated. And resolution meetings tend to increase disputative contexts. So, it is better to get the help of a mediator. Here, the mediator should be a familiar face to you and your lawyer. Share your feelings and reasons for not paying the fees with the mediator. Also, let the moderator know the statements of the legal personnel. Now, try to form a mutual understanding. It can be a partial payment of the charged amount or a promise to pay the full amount in installments.

3. Go for Court Settlement

If you are confident about your position and have solid evidence of the attorney’s unethical acts, you should go for a court decision. After all, if the attorney sues you, he or she will face some serious consequences, as you can show malpractice-related proof. Your win means the attorney was involved in malpractice; he or she will be penalized, lose the practice license, etc.

4. Just Pay the Due Amount

You might have lost the court case and received any recovery costs from the other vehicle’s driver. But, as you know, attorneys are not liable to bring you a win, though they try for one. However, you cannot blame the attorney solely for failure. Receiving an unfavorable decision from the judge is associated with many factors (for example, the opposition may have video footage showing your faulty position), and as such, attorneys cannot do that much. So, we suggest you be realistic and pay your lawyer.

7 Issues You Have to Face If Your Lawyer Sues You

  1. Hiring another lawyer to deal with court-related tasks.
  2. Preparing documents such as proof of an attorney’s malpractices, documents for which you have paid fees, and so on.
  3. You have to put in money, time, and effort to deal with the legal actions on your lawyer’s end.
  4. Surely, you have to deal with some sort of mental stress.
  5. You might have to arrange witnesses in some cases.
  6. Also, you are obligated to attend court dates, which require you to take time off from work or school.
  7. It might harm your social status and image if you don’t have any valid grounds for logical reasoning.

Final Thoughts

So, tell yourself: though my lawyer is suing me for unpaid fees it is not that overwhelming situation. Your mind will become calm, and your brain will try to find problem-solving approaches. As we’ve nicely described most possible approaches, analyze your position and take the appropriate action. We suggest, only if you have evidence of the attorney’s malpractices, you should go for defending your position in court. On the other hand, if you are not confident about proving an attorney’s unethical acts, it is better to get a mutual understanding and pay.

People Also Ask

What can a lawyer do if you don’t pay them?

In the case of any ongoing court case, the lawyer can withdraw his or her assistance and support. Also, a lawyer can sue you.

Can you go to jail for not paying attorney fees?

Well, there is no such provision. If you lose in court and your attorney wins, you have to pay the full amount plus some additional money to compensate for his or her time and effort.

Do you pay a lawyer if you lose?

In general, lawyers try but are not liable to ensure your win. So, even if you lose, you have to pay the attorney’s fees.

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