Well, you hired a lawyer and it just doesn’t seem like you are getting the level of communication you were  hoping for.  It seems as if you call and leave a message and wait for days to hear back.  Hopefully, at the outset, you hired a lawyer that concentrates in the area of law you hired him/her for.  If they do not consistently practice in your area of need, that may explain some part of the delay.  On the other hand, assuming you were injured in an accident and hired a lawyer that concentrates in  handling injury cases, there should be no communication issues.

     In our state, one of the leading causes of complaints against attorneys in general is the failure to communicate with the client.  From our perspective, this is just unacceptable. As attorneys, we are professionals, and under our ethical commitments to our clients is the necessity of keeping them informed of the status of their claim or lawsuit every step of the way. 

     When you hire your lawyer, have a frank discussion about communication.  We tell all of our clients that they can call our office as often as they wish.  I personally tell my clients that I return all phone calls within 24 hours, sometimes in the evening depending on court schedules.  If I know I’m going to be out for extended periods due to trials, or depositions, I have my office call my client back to arrange a convenient time in the upcoming days that I can call them and discuss their case.  I also tell my clients that each file has an associate attorney or paralegal assigned to it as well and that they are always free to contact that person for an update if needed.  Additionally, we typically carbon copy our clients on nearly every letter we write, which also serves to update them.  After status hearings in court, I typically write to my clients and give them an update on what the court scheduled at that time.  We also call  our clients on an as needed basis.  Up front, we tell our clients that if they don’t hear from us for a week or so, it is only because nothing is actually happening at that point.  Typically, there is some delay between writing for records and getting them in, or writing to the insurance company and getting any response from them.  Nevertheless, our clients are ALWAYS free to call in and see what is going on. 

     Each lawyers level of communication is unique to that particular client and their needs.  Even so, you as the client should NEVER be frustrated with a lack of information from your lawyer.  Your lawyer is your “agent at law”, and is acting for YOUR benefit.  If you are not getting phone calls returned, set up a meeting to learn why.  Of course, your lawyer will also be busy with other client’s work, but that does  not absolve them from properly communicating with you.  After all, it is your case, and you have a right to know what is going on!   Good luck!