From our “Ask a Question” Mailbag: Dealing with an Unresponsive Attorney in Gloucester County

Most Recently Updated July 10, 2018.

“I am a New Jersey resident serving as the Personal Representative of my mother’s Gloucester County, New Jersey Estate. I hired a Gloucester County attorney to probate the estate and help me administer the estate, but I cannot get her to return my calls. What can I do?”

Dealing with an Unresponsive Attorney in Gloucester County

As the Personal Representative, the Probate Attorney works for you. You hire the Probate Attorney, and you can fire the Probate Attorney. Many attorneys fail to recognize that we work in a service industry, client satisfaction is important!

What You Can Do

If you are not getting the service you expect, you can easily retain a new Probate Attorney and your first attorney must turn over the files to the new attorney. This happens more than you would think. Further, remember you are responsible for the estate’s progress.

If the Probate Attorney is not moving quickly enough, the beneficiaries may have a complaint against you. If deadlines are not met, especially tax deadlines, and interest or penalties are levied, you could be surcharged as the Executor or Personal Representative. The Probate Lawyer’s job is to keep you out of trouble, not create trouble.

More Probate Questions?

Dealing with unresponsive attorneys is only part of the overall probate process. By all means, if you wish to learn more, please read my more detailed article, The Probate Process All You Need to Know.

In Conclusion: Dealing with an Unresponsive Attorney in Gloucester County

I hope that this article was helpful in explaining how to handle an unresponsive attorney. Further, I included links to even more detailed information on my website. Therefore, please contact me and let me know how I did. Certainly, your comments and questions are welcome!

Let our Probate Lawyers help walk you through what can be a confusing process. To begin with, call to speak to one of our experienced Probate Attorneys.  By all means, our lawyers are ready to answer your questions. In fact, feel free to contact our office for a free consultation. Ultimately our goal is to make the process as painless as possible!

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Tags: Breach of Fiduciary Duty, Gloucester County, New Jersey, Probate, Probate Attorney, Probate Lawyer, Standard of Care for Fiduciaries