While your attorney has an ethical obligation to communicate settlement offers to you, it is not illegal for an attorney to accept a settlement offer on your behalf without speaking with you about it. Clients in some states may have to adhere to the lawyer’s acceptance or rejection of a settlement offer. You and your lawyer and your lawyer's staff are a team. The team must work well together, and working well together means that you must be upfront about your objectives for the case. If you disagree with how your lawyer handles your claim is or want to change directions, be open about your concerns with your lawyer. You should never feel pressured to settle a case instead of going to trial. You and your family have to live with the case's outcome, so make sure that you agree with how it is going.