Hiring the wrong attorney not only wastes your time, but it is a waste of money as well. If you’re elderly loved one is being abused, you need to hire an attorney versed in elder abuse laws. While it can be difficult to tell the good attorneys from the bad at the outset, here are five indications you may have hired someone unqualified to help you.
Wrong Specialty
Even though the attorney may claim experience in elder law, there are many areas within elder law, including elder abuse, Social Security disability claims, age discrimination, and estate planning, among many others. The Florida elder law attorney you’ve hired should know the state laws and federal regulations concerning elder abuse, including the different types of abuse and possible punishments for offenders.
No Track Record
If you don’t like how the attorney is handling the case of your loved one’s abuse, find out if he has handled elder abuse cases before. Ask about his experience and double check what you’re told against court records. The records of most trials are public information, so you can easily determine if what you have been told is true. Many counties in Florida have this information online so you can research the attorney’s record from home.
Lacks Empathy
Many people get impatient or frustrated when speaking to an elderly person, especially if they think slowly, are reluctant to speak about their experiences or have a disability. If the attorney you’ve hired seems disinterested, frustrated or impatient when speaking to the victim about what happened, he may not be the right lawyer for the job. A good elder abuse law attorney will be understanding of the victim’s reluctance to speak or their inability to communicate about what happened and look for other ways to get the necessary information.
Poor Decision Making
From the outset, the attorney you hire to take a case should be able to tell you how he plans to proceed with it. While he can always adjust the way some things are done as the case is developed, the attorney should have a preliminary road map as the case moves forward. If an attorney wants to be paid right away and cannot tell you what he plans to do, that should be a red flag for you..
Shows Disinterest
If it has been some time since you’ve heard from the attorney you’ve hired about your elder abuse case and you are not getting any response after calling him, it may be a sign that the attorney is not interested in your case.
If your attorney is not calling you back after contacting his office, you should consider seeking help from someone else. An attorney should be fully invested in his clients, even if he is very busy. Elder abuse cases are difficult enough without hiring the wrong attorney, so you should always be sure your lawyer is focused on your case.
