How to release stubborn lawyer? (Munster: 2015, home, legal)

[hellothereIN]

He just refuses to answer calls to office, to his assistant, and to his para-legal. There were emails too.
Has not picked up the letter releasing him by certified mail as well.
I also faxed the telling letter.
So I called his home and left a voice message.
Next, maybe a YOUR FIRED! balloon gram.
I can't afford another attorney to fire this one...but I might contact the bar assn.
For my expensive divorce final in 2013, I have not received any property.???
I am beyond upset. This is awful.
He was costly and all I have is well, nothing.

Just A divorce.

I'm broke.

Any ideas?

I feel bad for any future "victims"

[Bluefox]

Originally Posted by hellothereIN

He just refuses to answer calls to office, to his assistant, and to his para-legal. There were emails too.
Has not picked up the letter releasing him by certified mail as well.
I also faxed the telling letter.
So I called his home and left a voice message.
Next, maybe a YOUR FIRED! balloon gram.
I can't afford another attorney to fire this one...but I might contact the bar assn.
For my expensive divorce final in 2013, I have not received any property.???
I am beyond upset. This is awful.
He was costly and all I have is well, nothing.

Just A divorce.

I'm broke.

Any ideas?

I feel bad for any future "victims"

Sorry to hear that. Well, just keep a copy of the certified mail and that should be sufficient. Is he still billing you? Keep any bills. As an attorney myself I would suggest you file a complaint with the state bar of Indiana, especially if he's still billing you. There are ethical duties attorneys must uphold, including a duty to communicate with clients in a reasonable manner. If he is not doing that he is violating the code of ethics. He is also violating the code of ethics if he is just pocketing your money and not performing the services he promised to do.

But in the meantime, don't let the fact that you can't get a hold of him hold you up from hiring another attorney. Though you don't need an attorney to file a complaint. Chances are, if he's done this to you, he is probably doing it to other clients too. You've done your due diligence in terminating the relationship, you have no further obligation after you sent the certified letter. Doesn't matter that he hasn't picked it up, as long as it was to the correct address.

[Northwest Indiana]

I could be wrong, but I believe you may be able to file a status report with the court informing them of what is going on without going through the attorney.

[hellothereIN]

Thank you both so much.
As for billing, Bluefox I wouldn't know. Last bit of info from him was a copy of a letter from exspouse attorney in June, 2014.
I called throughout the year, leaving messages. Never getting a reply.
I finally called the qdro reps myself and they claimed they've tried to get my address from his office since July, 2014.
I just don't understand this at all.
I will look into filing that stsus report for sure Northwest Indiana.
The pension was easy for I had a contact person.
The financial group are not too concerned whether I receive my half. I did call them. They were in Munster and now in Chicago.

Thank you again.

[hellothereIN]

Chilling: daughter asked me this morning "could it be dad?"( the ex) Threatening him (my lawyer) or some type of bigger payoff?

[iidreamtheaterii]

Originally Posted by hellothereIN

Chilling: daughter asked me this morning "could it be dad?"( the ex) Threatening him (my lawyer) or some type of bigger payoff?

This sentence doesn't give enough information to know what you mean by it.

All I can say is that your string of thoughts you're telling this forum of the 'situation' is all over the place. It's hard to follow what's exactly been going on.

It sounds as if you had a divorce settlement, not receiving any of your entitled 50% upon splitting up which your lawyer should have helped you acquire. If that is the case, is it not possible to take the legal papers stating what you're owed and serve up the ex's lawyer for the possessions you clearly don't have yet?

There would be no further use for your lawyer you're attempting (unsuccessfully) to "fire him" aside from following through with the property that's coming to you. If he's clearly not helping you receive it, then as far as I'm concerned, he's already just being a bad lawyer to follow through with.

If you LOST upon your divorce settlement and you're mad at him for losing it for you, that's a completely different story.

Again, it's unclear as to what the situation is given the random ranting going on here. I also have NO legal brain to me, so this is all off the cuff thinking.

[Nikko12]

Id suggest looking for firms that deal in legal malpractice. I'm a paralegal and that doesn't seem right. Many will take cases on a contingent basis.

[hellothereIN]

Thank you all for the help and suggestions.
My divorce was final in 2013. I was granted half of the marital property. In 2015, I became concerned when nothing had been done by my attorney to begin the process (in order that I could recive my settlement property), and became very concerned when my attempts to contact my lawyer went unanswered.

Remember two years have passed with no work done by my lawyer to finalize the settlement as signed by the judge two years ago.

So, I tried to fire him, in hopes I could process the various account forms and whatever, on my own.

Nothing was being filed, recorded, etc.

The remark that perhaps my ex paid my attorney to not finish the work, did enter my mind. For it did not make sense for my lawyet to just abandon me.

The call I made to his home helped.

He called me to his office and apologized, but gave no reason for the 'slip' - and assured me he would handle what needs to be done...at no charge to me.

Just odd. The entire mess.

Guess I will just wait and see now what happens next.

Again, thank you.

[artemis]

My lawyer started the QDRO process as soon as the divorce was final.

Good luck.