Clients should not feel beholden to their criminal lawyer in Melbourne once they have hired them for representation.
If they begin to miss meetings, bypass deadlines, struggle to obtain evidence and fail to present a professional image, then they are entitled to file a complaint and take further action where necessary.
Here we will discuss what that action could look like.
Demand a Consultation
The first step that any unsatisfied and concerned client should do when they believe their criminal lawyer in Melbourne is becoming unreliable is to address the matter via a consultation in person. No phone calls, no emails and no text messages – just a direct chat without any distractions. This can often be the bone of contention for individuals who struggle to actually get the time they are paying for. So long as this demand has been made, then further action can be taken if they do not satisfy the request.
Issue a Complaint in Writing
A client will need to be able to document the level of misconduct and provide it as evidence if the matter proceeds with their criminal lawyer in Melbourne. Depending on the nature of the conduct, they can face anything from fines and penalties to disbarment or imprisonment according to the scale of their misdeeds. So long as the individual has the capacity to write a letter or email to the appropriate party, then the solicitor will not be able to deny the claims or obfuscate their responsibility.
Contact The Firm
Clients have the opportunity to seek representation across all levels when it comes to their criminal lawyer in Melbourne. Some of these operators will be official partners and essentially be working at the very top of a firm whilst a majority of others will be lower down the food chain. It is best practice to reach out and make contact with the firm in order to document and notify the organisation about their volatile and unpredictable conduct, a type of behaviour that is not becoming of their business or their professional image. Once they know the participant is willing to go public with this behaviour and publish it through the media or via scathing online reviews, they will be forced into action.
Contact Melbourne Legal Association
So long as the criminal lawyer in Melbourne is proud enough to publish their affiliation with a local body such as the Law Institute of Victoria or the Criminal Lawyers’ Association, then the client is well within their rights to bring up the matter with them directly. Once the previous avenues have been exhausted, they are entitled to follow their concern with their peers, although there are no guarantees about what type of action they can take. Even if they happen to pass on a referral to another body, the complaint should be made at their desk.
Sack Them
The final step for an unpredictable criminal lawyer in Melbourne is obvious – fire them on the spot. Anyone in a position of defending their rights or freedom in court are entitled to a defence that they are satisfied with. It is an extreme step that offers no guarantees for the next candidate, but when an individual feels as though they are not receiving the right level of representation then they can be backed into a corner. No lawyer wants to have that mark on their resume, so even the threat itself should shock them into action.
Conclusion
There is much more that a client can do when their criminal lawyer in Melbourne becomes unreliable than feeling let down or writing a critical online review. These practitioners can literally hold the freedom of a citizen in their hands and it is up to them to showcase the right level of professionalism that their fee demands and the oath they took to hold that position within the justice system.
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