Attorneys have a duty to provide adequate representation for their clients. Most attorneys have an area of the law in which they focus. This is what they’ve taken the time to study and learn the concepts of this particular area. But, some attorneys will opt to try to work on cases in other areas that they aren’t as familiar with. This can cause the client to receive representation that isn’t as good as what they’d usually provide.
If you’re a client who had an attorney represent you in an area outside of their normal practice and the case didn’t go in the manner it should have, you may consider trying to determine whether the case meets the criteria for legal malpractice. When a lawyer works on a case in an area they usually don’t practice in, they’re dabbling.
It’s easy for them to get in over their head if the case ends up being more complex than they thought it would be. Some might feel overly confident and don’t realize that they need to call in someone who has more training and experience. Unfortunately, this can harm the client. But there might not be any problem if the attorney realizes that they need assistance and get that before any harm is done to the client or the client’s case.
Attorneys have a duty to ensure that they are always providing competent representation. Clients who feel this hasn’t happened might need to have the situation evaluated. If there was any harm that occurred because of the malpractice, a legal claim against the lawyer might be in order.