Lawyer stopped pursuing client's case, and refuses contact

[DaveBis]

I entered into a contingency contract with a lawyer to pursue arbitration against another law firm that was hired to help me negotitate a debt, but instead they negligently advised me to Chapter 7 my small business corp/debt, claiming I could keep everything, all assets, etc.....they apparently didn't even know the difference between a Chapter 7 and an 11..at the time, neither did I, that's why I hired them! It cost me 30K to get the bankruptcy petition dismissed in court so i wouldn';t lose my business and income. The attorney who helped me get the bankruptcy petition dismissed is the guy who was hired to pursue a negligence arbitration against the 1st law firm as he told me they were grossly negligent.

After over a year of fooling around, showing up for a few court hearings to get a judge to order selection of an arbitrator, my attorney apparently lost interest. For awhile he kept stalling me saying the other side was being obstinate and wouldn't agree to an arbitrator, but I found out my lawyer started not showing up for court hearings and meetings...then he stopped returning all my calls....after several years of this I demanded that my entire file be turned over to me so that I could find another lawyer.....his secretary aknowleged that she had spoken to him about my case and my demand, and that he said he would write me a letter, but that was well over a year ago......he still doesn't return my calls.....he has never informed me if I am up against any statute of limitations.......I just sent him a certified letter outlining what he is up to and my demand, and apparently that has been ignored also.

The Cal State Bar is a joke, it is the fox guarding the henhouse, and they admitted to me they cannot compel an attorney to do anything.....and they can't discipline attornies they even told me!

I am in L.A. and I don't know how one goes about resolving this......

[Mr. Knowitall]

Maybe you need to file a legal malpractice action against your legal malpractice lawyer.... :roll:

[DaveBis]

Exactly......we sent a written letter for the firtst time, which was ignored, now were' sending another one certified mail return receipt[/i]

[DaveBis]

As an update, the lawyer received my certified letter about a month ago....his secretary called me the day before she was quitting to let me know that the lawyer has no idea what was happening with the case, has no idea why he isn't doing anything about, and has no recollection what is going on with the case.

She upon my request gave me her contact info in case I needed to call her as a witness to his incompetence and his refusal to return any calls, turn over the case or respond in writing.