How to Switch Attorneys or Law Firms
Whether it is because an injured party’s current attorney is hard to reach, does not have the right experience to handle a complex personal injury case, or pushes one to take a bad deal, an injured party always has the right to choose their personal injury attorney, even in the middle of the case.
If, for whatever reason, an injured party wishes to switch attorneys, the first thing one should do is contact and secure another attorney.
Please contact our firm, Mazie Slater Katz & Freeman at (973) 228-9898 for a free consultation. Our firm is one of the most reputable personal injury firms in New Jersey, and we have passionately represented our clients for years. We have collected well more than a billion dollars for our clients in all types of personal injury, car accident and medical malpractice lawsuits.
Switching Law Firms
An injured party should feel confident in the attorney and law firm assigned to their case. An injured party has the right to change attorneys and law firms for any reason. Although changing law firms can seem like an intimidating task, it happens all the time. There are two things you should know about changing law firms:
- It will not cost more money – in most situations, when an injured party hires a personal injury lawyer, a contingency agreement is signed. This agreement sets forth certain amounts the firm will get based on a verdict or settlement. When one changes law firms, the new and old firms will share this fee. The total amount an injured party pays is exactly the same.
- It will not impact one’s case – changing law firms will not harm or affect an injured party’s case. The old law firm is required to turn over all records, and the new law firm will pick up exactly where the old firm left off.
If interested in switching law firms, contact our firm immediately at (973) 228-9898. Mazie Slater Katz & Freeman has what is believed to be the largest personal injury settlement in New Jersey history. We were able to obtain a $125 million settlement after a woman was crushed, and ultimately paralyzed, by a Verizon utility pole. This is just one of the many cases that we have successfully pursued on behalf of our clients.
Can I Switch Personal Injury Lawyers?
Yes, you can switch a personal injury lawyer at any time. When an injured party hires a personal injury lawyer, they need someone who they can trust to successfully handle their case until the very end. Regardless of the reason for dissatisfaction, an injured party has the right to choose which attorney or firm represents them in their personal injury matter, even in the middle of the case.
If interested in switching personal injury lawyers, contact our firm as soon as possible at (973) 228-9898. We are extremely successful in litigating personal injury claims for our clients. For example, we were able to obtain a $19.2 million settlement in a case where a natural gas explosion in a home caused severe burn injuries to several of our clients, three of whom died from their burn injuries. This is believed to be the largest settlement for a burn injury in New Jersey history. In another case, we obtained a $5 million verdict against the New Jersey Division of Youth and Family Services (DYFS) for negligently failing to supervise an estranged father which resulted in abuse to our client.
How to Switch Personal Injury Lawyers
If an injured party wishes to switch personal injury lawyers, the first thing to do is contact and secure another experienced personal injury attorney. What an injured party and the new attorney do next depends on the stage of the case. If a legal claim has not been filed, an injured party can simply inform the old attorney that they are switching attorneys. If a legal claim has been filed, but no trial date has been set, the new attorney will need to file what’s called a “substitution of attorney.” There are some limitations, however, if a trial date has been scheduled. Both the old and new attorney will need to execute a substitution of attorney, the new attorney will obtain a written waiver by all other parties of notice and the right to be heard, and both the old and new attorney will need to file a certification indicating that switching attorneys will not cause any delay. If an injured party is thinking about switching attorneys, it is essential that one contacts and secures a new attorney immediately. The sooner one changes personal injury lawyers, the less risk that a judge is not going to approve the switch.
Please contact our firm at (973) 228-9898 for a free consultation. Mazie Slater Katz & FreemanOur firm was lead counsel in a $300 million settlement for thousands of lawsuits involving the drug Benicar.
Can I Change My Car Accident Lawyer?
Yes, just like with a personal injury attorney, you are able to switch car accident lawyers at any time. Above all else, an injured party needs an attorney that they can trust to properly handle their car accident case. An injured party should have faith that their car accident attorney’s is experienced and their advice is being given with their best interest in mind. If this is not the case, an injured party should seek a new attorney to litigate their car accident case.
Please contact our firm, Mazie Slater Katz & Freeman, at (973) 228-9898 for a free consultation. We have significant experience handling car accident cases and have obtained significant verdicts for our clients. In one case, we were able to obtain a $10 million settlement for a woman severely injured by a bus. In another case, we won a $3.55 million settlement where an 11 year old boy was killed when another driver ran a stop sign and crashed into the vehicle his father was driving. In another tragic case, we secured a $1.75 million settlement for our client who was severely injured when a commercial truck rear-ended her vehicle. These are just a handful of the many settlements we have won for our many car, truck and bus accident victim clients.
Can I Switch Lawyers in the Middle of a Case?
If a legal claim has yet to be filed, or if it has been filed and no trial date has been set by the court, an injured party has an absolute right to switch lawyers. If one wishes to do so, simply contact and secure a new experienced lawyer that can properly handle and litigate the case. Inform the old lawyer that new counsel was secured, and the new lawyer will file what is called a “substitution of attorney.” It will not cost money, and it will not affect the outcome of the case.
There are limitations, however, if a trial date has been scheduled by the court. If a trial date has been scheduled, both the old and new lawyer will need to execute a substitution of attorney, the new lawyer will obtain a written waiver by all other parties of notice and the right to be heard, and both the old and new lawyer will need to file a certification indicating that changing lawyers will not cause any delay in the case. Thus, it is essential that an injured party contact and secure the new attorney immediately to lessen the risk that a judge will not approve the change.
If interested in switching lawyers, even in the middle of the case, contact our firm as soon as possible at (973) 228-9898. At Mazie Slater Katz & Freeman, we have a long history of avidly pursuing claims on behalf of our clients in a wide variety of matters. We were able to obtain a $3.5 million settlement in a case involving a failure to diagnose an arterial occlusion that resulted in our client sustaining a paralyzing stroke. The treating physicians incorrectly concluded that our client was suffering from a pinched nerve when, in reality, our patient was having a transient ischemic attack. In another case that was subject to worldwide media attention, we secured a $5.5 million settlement for our client who tragically died while donating his bone marrow to help a teenager he had never met. Our client’s oxygen plummeted but the anesthesiologist failed to closely monitored his vital signs or take timely action.
Switch Lawyers & Call Mazie Slater in New Jersey Today!
If you are interested in switching lawyers, or wondering even if you should switch law firms, give us a call today. We are a team of experienced personal injury and car accident lawyers with a track record of great success in New Jersey. Our law firm will step in to help you get the adequate counsel you need, and assist you in winning your case.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Switching Law Firms or Attorneys
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Can I switch attorneys?
The simple answer is yes, you can. Depending on where you are at in the process will depend on how you proceed, but the first step is to always reach out to a new experienced attorney to discuss your case.
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Can I switch law firms?
Yes, switching law firms is completely your right. Just like with switching attorneys, it will depend on where you are at in the process, but the first step is to get into touch with a new firm to discuss your case.
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Can I switch lawyers or firms in the middle of a case?
Yes you can! Here are the basic stipulations:
- If you have filed a legal claim but no trial date, your new attorney will fill out a “substitution of attorney”.
- If you have filed a legal claim and have a trial date, both your new and old attorney will fill out a “substitution of attorney” and a few other items of paperwork that will need to be reviewed by a judge.
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Will I have to pay legal fees to two law firms if I switch my lawyer?
The simple answer is no. You will only pay one legal fee and the two law firms will have to split the fee up between them.
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Does switching lawyers cost money?
Most of the time, no. When a firm takes a case, what they receive in payment is contingent on them winning the case. So if you want to switch lawyers before filing a legal claim or after the process has started, you are able to do so for free.