When you get injured in Los Angeles and hire an attorney, you expect them to build a strong case and win the highest possible settlement for you. However, there are some additional things you should keep in mind. An attorney is not only responsible for being well-versed with the law, but they also need to have certain ethical qualities.
It is important to understand what your attorney owes you before you hire them. It is easy to be taken advantage of when you do not realize your rights.
Ethical obligations your attorney must have
- Confidentiality.
One of the most important qualities to look for in an attorney is whether they are capable of keeping your personal information and affairs private. This can be best understood by how they talk about their previous clients. Talking about their clients to demonstrate their experience is fine, but they should not be revealing sensitive information.
When you trust someone with your case, you would not want them to go around telling others. Discussing your case with other people is not only unethical, but it is also borderline illegal as you have the right to client-attorney confidentiality. When an attorney is not private about their clients, you may not feel safe to be completely honest with them.
- Honesty.
Another important trait is being honest with the client. An attorney should always act in their client’s best interest and not their own. Not only do they need to be honest with the paperwork but also with you about the case. Honesty helps two people trust each other. If they are not honest about the outcomes of the case with you, you are less likely to trust them.
Moreover, an attorney should be honest because it helps create realistic expectations and eliminate unrealistic ones. Suppose your chances of winning the case is only 50%, but your attorney keeps telling you it is 90%. Here, they are increasing your expectations even when they know that reality is different.
- Acting in your best interest.
You hire an attorney to help you win the highest possible settlement. Therefore, you need someone who sympathizes with your situation and acts in your best interest. You want to hire someone who will try their best to bring the best compensation amount for you. It is important to note that they should act in your best interest while still following the law and should not encourage illegal activities.
An attorney in Los Angeles should not force you to accept a lower settlement just because they want to collect their fees. They should fight for maximum compensation even if it means taking the case to court and risking an unfavorable verdict.
