How to Stop a Lawyer From Representing you at Trial

When in pursuit of justice, you hire a lawyer to represent you in a Small Claims Court trial. But after a while, you realize that you no longer want their services, either because you can’t afford them or because they have provided you with enough legal advice that you don’t need them. However, dismissing a lawyer is not always that easy and there are legal considerations to make note of. Here are a few suggestions on how to stop a lawyer from representing you at trial.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Pen
• Paper

1. Remove any signed a retainer agreement with the lawyer binding you to their services in the same legal way and that is via writing.
2. Write a letter to the lawyer outlining why you no longer want them to represent you and request that they hand over to you all the legal documents and correspondence relating to your case.
3. Know that they will give you their bill to date and expect you to pay for it immediately. How you react to this could affect how they react to giving you your documents. The lawyer could acknowledge your request and remove him or herself immediately.
4. Be aware that if your case is complex, the lawyer may bring a motion before a judge, with you present, and ask that judge to make a ruling removing the lawyer from your file. At that point, it is likely that your complete file will be handed over to you or it will be agreed that it will be given to you at a specific time. It is common for lawyers to act in this fashion to protect themselves from legal issues between you and them later on.

Tips & Warnings

• If you have a lawyer removed from your case for the purpose of hiring a new one, you need to understand that many lawyers will not stand in for one that was fired. If you have one ready to act for you, that’s fine, but you could be left with the task of finding a lawyer outside of the geographical jurisdiction of your court. And you need to count the cost in relation to delaying the trial for a period of time because when you do find a new lawyer, they will need time to study and prepare for your case.