A lawyer who is in a hurry or who is not clear does not install confidence. A lawyer cannot always give an exact answer and may only be able to estimate how long a case will take. While a lawyer cannot guarantee success in a case, the lawyer should give you an idea of the chance for success. A lawyer's office should be able to give you the status or what the next step is in your case when you ask. Since it takes valuable time to answer your status questions, do not ask too often.
Some offices accept only written status requests.
If a lawyer has sent a letter or filed a paper for you, the lawyer should be able to show you a copy of the letter or a receipt for the paper. If the lawyer cannot show this to you and cannot explain why there is no receipt, it may be a sign of a disorganized office or that the paper was not filed. Make sure the person in charge of the office is a lawyer. Notaries, consultants, or others who are not licensed as a lawyer will sometimes pretend to be a lawyer. If you are in the office, look for the lawyer's certificate on the wall.