Can I Fire My Attorney?

Portner & Shure has gained many clients who transferred their case from other attorneys. If you are unhappy with your current attorney, it is important to remember that you always have the right to fire or substitute your attorney. Many clients are unsatisfied with their attorneys due to their lack of confidence in their attorney's skill and ability, an undesirable outcome in court, lack of communication, or a misunderstanding of what the client truly wants.

The attorneys at Portner & Shure are ranked amongst the best in Arlington, Virginia and around the DC Metro area. In fact, Jonathan Portner is a member of the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, has been featured in TIME magazine's 2013 Excellence in Law, and is a member of The National Top 100 Trial Lawyers organization. We strive to listen and communicate with our clients through our multilingual paralegals and provide the best legal services with our knowledgeable attorneys and legal team.

If you wish to hire a new attorney to take over your case, you must take the following steps:

1) Review your Contract: Look at the contract with your current attorney and see if there are any provisions that address the issue of terminating the contract. Follow these steps to avoid breaching the contract. If you need help reviewing your contract, our experienced attorneys can help you understand contract legalese that confuses many native English speakers and especially confuse those who do not speak English as their first language.

2) Hire a New Attorney: Contact your new attorney and hire them only after you are certain that you wish to terminate your current client-attorney relationship. It is essential that you hire a new attorney first. If there are any legal issues that arise after terminating your current attorney and hiring a new attorney, you must handle them on your own without legal guidance. This can be very dangerous.

3) Terminate the Relationship: Write a formal letter to your attorney stating that you are terminating the client-attorney relationship. In the letter, request that a copy of your file be sent to your new attorney. Provide the address, phone number, and fax of your new attorney in the letter so that they are able to forward your file. If you are unsure as to how to terminate your current attorney-client relationship, our experienced multilingual paralegals and legal team can help you draft your letter. This is especially important for clients who do not speak English as their first language.

4) Notify the Court: As soon as you terminate your attorney, notify the court of your substitution. At Portner & Shure, we can file a motion for substitution of counsel for you so there is no hassle to you.