As the client of a lawyer, you should always remember it is your decision whether to settle a legal case or not. The attorney cannot make the call. He or she should only advise you of options and make recommendations.
If you allow your attorney to force a settlement, the lawyer could be committing lawyer malpractice and if you sign that settlement, you could lose your opportunity to sue him or her for legal malpractice.
Attorneys have an obligation to inform a client of all opportunities to settle a matter. A lawyer may have a lot of time invested in a case and may not get adequate compensation from a minimal settlement. Although it may be tempting to let the case go forward and not inform the client of a settlement opportunity, this could be the grounds of legal malpractice.
Should I settle this case? This is a question that’s likely to come up at the beginning of a case, somewhere in the middle and even while trial is ongoing. It may come up more than once. No two cases are ever exactly the same. Thus, an attorney cannot always say with certainty if settlement is a good idea or if it would be better to wait.
Remember you could lose hundreds of thousands of dollars through legal negligence. A settlement might look attractive at first, but it may not be so appealing when you look at the long term and your needs.
Settlements can also work to your disadvantage if your case is settled without your knowledge, if it is settled prematurely, if you are not informed of important developments in your case that affect settlement and if your better judgment or wishes are against settlement and you are pressured to settle regardless of your feelings.
If you believe you have been injured as a result of your lawyer’s conduct, it is important to discuss the facts of your case with an Ohio legal malpractice lawyer skilled at evaluating
legal malpractice claims. Because the statute of limitations is short with legal malpractice cases, it is important not to delay.
The Ohio law firm of Slater & Zurz LLP welcomes questions about legal malpractice and will provide anyone who suspects they have been victimized by legal malpractice with a free preliminary case review. Please call 1-888-534-4850 or send a message from the website by visiting
www.slaterzurz.com.
About Slater & Zurz LLP
Slater & Zurz LLP, with offices in Akron, Canton, Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio, has a long and distinguished history of helping people who have been unjustly and unnecessarily mistreated or victimized by companies or other individuals. In the law firm’s 40 year history, it has handled over 20,000 personal injury cases that resulted in excess of $120 million being awarded to clients. The Ohio law firm’s dedicated team of experienced attorneys and legal professionals have earned a reputation for getting positive results for clients in a wide variety of legal areas. To learn more about Slater & Zurz LLP, please visit
www.slaterzurz.com or call 1-888-534-4850.
