He's slimy. OK, slimier than usual.
ALSO WORKS FOR: Doctors, dentists, accountants, financial planners.
PASSIVE Get another. "I had a lawyer for 30 years whom I became
dissatisfied with, so I called up another lawyer and started using
him," says Charlotte Ford, author of
21st-Century Etiquette ($14,
www.amazon.com). "Sometimes it's easier to walk away. There
doesn't always have to be a clean break — there can be more of a
transition."
AGGRESSIVE Confront him. A lawyer in Rhode Island has gotten many reasons for
being fired, among them: "I want a TV lawyer to get me more
money!" (from a client in a personal-injury suit) and "I want an
advance on my settlement so I can go on vacation!" (the mother of
a prison inmate who shot himself playing Russian roulette).
PREFERRED Call and ask for your records or have your new lawyer do it for
you. Just be sure to settle your old accounts. "The worst thing is
getting stiffed on the bill," says the Rhode Island lawyer.
