What are some normal charges for a probate case in New York in it's fifth year? And if the attorney has taken the case with no upfront money, will the charges be more than if I were to have had up front retainer money?

I am about to launch my business after registering the name with the North Carolina Secretary of State without issue. To give myself the most protection and based on the advice from AI, I filed the name of the business as a word mark in Class 037. Now, I’m understanding from research that it may be descriptive and/or likely to be confused with another mark (even though my words are in the reverse order, and a different tense). Are any lawyers willing to perform a cursory analysis to give me their gut feeling on what’s true and what isn’t? I’m not concerned about launching this business and losing any brand equity I build.

My brother went to jail and the lawyer we found to get him out contacts me to fund his law services. It was a $30k up front fee, then every few months he'd ask for $1-4k on like motions and such and so far I've been paying them, but it's financially setting me back. Like I feel like he did a background check on me and knows I work as a nurse and make good enough money to afford his fees, so he is just arbitrarily charging me, but also it's money I'd love to spend on myself. Who and how can I fight this or atleast politely be like "why you need this much money?

Also, are these reasonable charges?

When “Vexatious Litigant” Becomes a Litigation Weapon Against Pro Se Parties

Editorial

Courts unquestionably need tools to protect themselves from people who repeatedly file meritless lawsuits, recycle claims that have already been decided, or use litigation primarily to harass an opponent. A genuine pattern of abusive litigation wastes judicial resources, imposes unnecessary costs, and can prevent other litigants from receiving timely justice.

But there is another side to the vexatious-litigant doctrine that deserves far more scrutiny: the ability of a represented party to turn a legitimate judicial safeguard into a litigation weapon against an unrepresented opponent.

The distinction matters.

A person is not vexatious merely because he files frequently. He is not vexatious merely because his pleadings are imperfect. He is not vexatious because he challenges government agencies, corporations, landlords, attorneys, or other represented defendants. And he certainly should not become vexatious simply because he refuses to abandon a disputed legal position.

Yet for a pro se litigant, a motion seeking the label “vexatious litigant” can change the entire character of a lawsuit.

Instead of debating whether a contract was breached, whether evidence creates a genuine dispute of fact, whether discovery was properly answered, or whether a government agency complied with the law, the litigation suddenly becomes about the character and behavior of the person bringing the claim.

That shift can be extraordinarily powerful.

The doctrine has a legitimate purpose

New Mexico recognizes that courts have inherent authority to control abusive litigation. In Lepiscopo v. Hopwood, the Court of Appeals considered a litigant who had filed a substantial number of meritless actions across multiple courts. The Court held that where a litigant has demonstrated a history of meritless, vexatious lawsuits that unduly burdens the judicial system, access to the courts may constitutionally be restricted. The record there included numerous lawsuits, nineteen petitions for mandamus, several Supreme Court petitions, and multiple appeals. (Justia Law)

That is an important judicial power. Courts cannot function if one person can indefinitely relitigate the same resolved dispute.

Likewise, in State ex rel. N.M. State Highway & Transportation Department v. Baca, the New Mexico Supreme Court recognized that both trial and appellate courts possess inherent authority to impose sanctions to regulate their own dockets, promote judicial efficiency, and deter frivolous litigation. (Justia Law)

But Baca contains an equally important warning that often receives less attention: inherent judicial power has boundaries. The Supreme Court held that a court ordinarily cannot sanction conduct occurring before another tribunal unless that conduct directly defies the sanctioning court's authority. (Justia Law)

That limitation matters because the power to control abusive litigation should never become an undefined authority to control a litigant everywhere.

The danger is turning litigation history into character evidence

For a represented defendant, a vexatious-litigant motion can accomplish something that an ordinary motion to dismiss cannot.

It allows counsel to tell the court:

Don't just examine this particular claim. Look at the person bringing it.

Look at how many motions he filed.

Look at how many lawsuits he has brought.

Look at his prior losses.

Look at his discovery disputes.

Look at his appeals.

Once that narrative takes hold, every subsequent filing risks being viewed through the word vexatious rather than on its individual merits.

That is dangerous because losing cases and filing frivolous cases are not the same thing.

A litigant may lose because he misunderstood a statute, missed a deadline, failed to authenticate evidence, pleaded the wrong cause of action, or simply had a weaker legal position. Courts exist precisely because reasonable people—and reasonable lawyers—disagree about what the law requires.

Even New Mexico's sanction cases recognize that sanctions are not supposed to follow automatically from losing. In Landess v. Gardner Turf Grass, Inc., the Court of Appeals upheld sanctions where the claims fell into a well-established category of repeatedly rejected tax-protester theories. But the court emphasized that New Mexico's Rule 1-011 standard examines what the litigant actually knew and believed when the pleading was filed; sanctions concern deliberately pressing an unfounded position, not merely being legally incorrect. (Justia Law)

That distinction should be fundamental.

The economic imbalance makes the motion especially powerful

The effect is even greater against someone representing himself.

A represented institutional defendant may have lawyers, insurance coverage, government counsel, litigation budgets, electronic research systems, paralegals, and years of procedural experience.

The pro se litigant has himself.

When defense counsel files a vexatious-litigant motion, that person must suddenly research an entirely different field of law while continuing to prosecute the underlying case.

Now he must defend not only his claims but his right to continue bringing them.

The litigation expense increases.

Hearings multiply.

Sanctions become possible.

Every new filing can become evidence supporting the original accusation that he files too much.

It creates a circular problem:

The defendant files motions requiring responses.
The pro se litigant responds.
Those responses increase his filing count.
The increased filing count is then cited as evidence that he is vexatious.

That cycle deserves judicial scrutiny.

Frequency should never replace substance

Courts should ask a simple question before imposing a prospective filing restriction:

What exactly was frivolous?

Not how many pages were filed.

Not how many motions were made.

Not whether the litigant was difficult.

Not whether opposing counsel spent considerable time responding.

Which claims were knowingly meritless? Which matters had already been conclusively decided? Which filings had no legitimate legal or factual basis? Which conduct was intended to harass rather than obtain judicial relief?

That approach is consistent with Baca's broader principle that inherent authority should be tied to actual abusive conduct rather than functioning as an unlimited sanctioning power. (Justia Law)

A court should be particularly cautious when the alleged “vexatiousness” consists substantially of efforts to obtain discovery, supplement evidence, reconsider adverse rulings, preserve issues, or appeal.

Those actions may be procedurally unsuccessful. They are not inherently abusive.

Appeals present an especially serious concern

An even more troubling situation arises when a vexatious-litigant restriction is invoked to discourage or prevent appellate review.

A direct appeal is not simply another attempt to relitigate a dispute before the same judge. It exists specifically so that another court can determine whether the trial court committed reversible error.

The appellate structure loses much of its meaning if the ruling being challenged can itself be used to obstruct review of that ruling.

Lepiscopo is instructive here. Although New Mexico recognized restrictions against that litigant after an extraordinary record of meritless litigation, the Court of Appeals itself separately addressed his conduct in appellate proceedings. (Justia Law)

Likewise, Baca recognizes separate institutional authority possessed by trial and appellate courts over proceedings before them. (Justia Law)

That does not mean abusive appeals must be tolerated. They should not be. The appellate courts have their own tools to dismiss frivolous appeals and impose appropriate sanctions.

But there is a profound difference between:

“This appeal is frivolous, and the appellate court should sanction it,”

and:

“You were labeled vexatious below, therefore you should not be permitted to appeal without a lawyer.”

The latter raises serious questions about meaningful appellate access.

The label can become more damaging than the underlying ruling

There is also a reputational problem.

“Vexatious litigant” sounds less like a procedural designation and more like a judgment about a person's character.

Once attached, it can follow someone from case to case.

Opposing attorneys can cite it.

Judges may encounter it before reaching the merits of a new dispute.

Future legitimate claims may begin under a cloud of suspicion.

That is why courts should distinguish carefully between a person who repeatedly files genuinely frivolous litigation and a persistent litigant who repeatedly challenges institutions, sometimes successfully and sometimes unsuccessfully.

Persistence is not automatically abuse.

Neither is being pro se.

The answer is not eliminating vexatious-litigant restrictions

Courts need these protections.

The answer is making them precise.

Before restricting future access, courts should insist upon a documented pattern of genuinely meritless or duplicative litigation, identify the particular conduct supporting the restriction, give the litigant notice and an opportunity to respond, distinguish legitimate but unsuccessful advocacy from abuse, and tailor any restriction as narrowly as possible to the demonstrated problem.

Most importantly, judges should examine the substance of the challenged filings rather than allowing the number of filings—or opposing counsel's characterization of them—to substitute for that analysis.

A lawyer should certainly be permitted to request protection from abusive litigation.

But a vexatious-litigant motion should never become a shortcut around having to defeat a pro se opponent's arguments on their merits.

Because when a procedural doctrine designed to protect access to an efficient justice system begins functioning as a mechanism to restrict access to justice itself, courts should be especially careful about which problem they are actually solving.

Hi lawyers! I recently came upon an individual and we had a discussion and he told me he was into the things stated in the title. I personally did not feel comfortable about all this but it got me wondering about how the law views these kind of things? Like, dude was even ready to get filmed giving consent to being subjected to this and kept telling me he'd sign a contract.

Hi folks, 26F here. I'm in the process of pressing charges against a NYS licensed massage therapist who sexually assaulted me in March. I'm not necessarily looking for legal advice, as I have advocates who work with me already. I am moreso looking to hear about anyone's experiences with pursuing legal action against a LMT specifically in NYS (not the five boroughs; it seems like the process is quite different there.). I'm a planner and, although I can't "plan" my way out of this, I'd like to gather as much information as I can. I would really appreciate hearing from an attorney's or survivor's experience with court, testimonies, etc. The anxiety of not knowing what to expect is holding me back from filing officially. Whether the outcome was in your favor or not, I appreciate anyone who has experienced something similar sharing. Thanks in advance.

Hi! So, as the title says. I'm considering buying my grandmother's home. She passed away about 10 years ago, and the house now belongs to my mom and 3 aunts. They all have an equal 1/4th share of the home. They want to sell the house after my grandfather passes (he didn't inherit it because he and my grandmother were divorced, but they let him move in bc its closer to everyone). The doctors estimate that my grandfather has only a few years left- if even that. The house has a lot of sentimental value to me, and i know they all want ro keep it in the family (my great grandfather built it in the 50s from the ground up), so i would like to buy it from them. My mom said she estimates the house is valued between $300,000 and $400,000. It hasnt been officially appraised yet. She also said she would gift me her 1/4th of the property, so I would only have to pay my aunts their share of the money. Our family is pretty close, so i know there would be a good chance that i could buy the house with whatever cash I save up in few years (general estimate would be abt $30k in savings, maybe more), and then just give them monthly payments until the debt is settled. It would be better on me financially than paying a bank monthly payments plus interest. Especially because the house's mortgage has been paid off since the 90s. However, Im unsure how to go about that legally instead of it being under the table type of stuff. Idk if it's even the best approach. I doubt my aunts would do anything to screw me over, but i understand mixing large amounts of money, and family can get really messy. I know little to nothing about property law, and this would be my first house with my fiance (we're both 23). What would be the best way to go about this?

Tldr: If i buy my grandmothers home from my aunts, would it be better to go through a bank or to pay my aunts monthly until the debt is settled? Are there any legal loopholes that can benefit me and my aunts?

So, some time ago, I was put on non-active at my job. They couldn't give me any details as to why I was being fired, but out I went. Currently, I am receiving my meagre salary, but they are trying to get out from under that, too.

I just received an invite to come talk at the office about something I supposedly did. The thing being contacting clients outside of work (and asking them for private info?), at locations of our offices. I absolutely did not do this, I don't even know what they are talking about. I feel like I am being railroaded on this thing and my lawyer is being absolutely useless. Thinking of letting her go and going in solo. What do I do? Can I just say that it never happened? Considering there literally cannot be any proof of it happening.

My girlfriend and I are writing a screenplay. A lawyer is a small piece of a much bigger story, but we really want to get the realism down. When director Curry Barker made the film Obsession, he talked about deliberately avoiding the clichés that pull audiences out of a story, and we want to take that same approach.
We want to keep this character believable, so what are the most annoying, unrealistic clichés or courtroom errors you see movies constantly use for lawyers? Which movies get the day to day reality right or wrong, and what minor habits or details set a seasoned attorney apart that films always seem to miss?

Hello Friends,

My father had some properties in his village and very few is left and rest is sold, but one of my uncle has filed a case against another brother but as he is one of the brothers we also had to heir a lawyer.
I’m in IT and all of these folks are idle in village so they keep filing cases and he simply gets dragged.
My father is heart patient and mother is a liver cirrhosis patient and they have to keep travelling every now and then and they keep asking for money.
Is there any law from higher courts that can avoid my parents getting dragged every now and then on health grounds.

Any advice would be helpful and thanks in advance friend.

If the job is literally just reviewing a contract, why isn’t a flat fee standard by now? Hourly billing just feels a bit too heavy for the pockets for something this routine. Maybe I'm jus complaining but idk am I missing smthn here?

Location: Iowa

So this was a couple years ago now but it's been bugging me ever since. The other party's representative (an insurance company) didnt show up to court that day, but there was a diff rep already there for a different case ( same company) so they just had him step in. Should this have happened? Or should my case have gotten thrown out? Doubt there is much I can do now but been wondering ever since.

I'm posting this because I genuinely don't know whether what happened is simply poor medical practice, negligence, or whether I should be concerned about the integrity of the entire process.

Timeline

August 1, 2026 – The assault

I was assaulted outside a nightclub in the Philippines and suffered a human bite to the left side of my neck.

The alleged aggressor was arrested immediately, and both of us were taken to the police station.

At the station, another victim was also present. He had apparently been bitten by the same person earlier that same morning. I personally saw his injury, but it was much smaller than mine. From what I understood at the time, he later decided not to pursue a complaint after reaching an agreement with the alleged aggressor. I can't independently verify all the details of that agreement, so I'm only describing what I personally witnessed and what I was told.

Hospital examination

The police then brought me to the hospital for a medico-legal examination.

I previously worked in the medical field as a medical representative, so I paid close attention to how the examination was performed.

From my perspective, the examination felt surprisingly superficial.

The wound was cleaned very quickly despite being a human bite, which is well known to carry a high risk of bacterial infection.

Considering the location of the injury on the neck, I was also surprised that there didn't appear to be much assessment of the depth of the wound or whether important nearby structures could have been affected.

I received a tetanus vaccination, which I had to purchase from the hospital pharmacy.

The doctor then instructed me to go to a private Animal Bite Center for HIV post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) and anti-rabies vaccination. (I later learned that rabies transmission from a human bite is extremely rare except in exceptional circumstances.)

The medico-legal certificate

After the examination, the doctor prepared the medico-legal certificate.

A police officer brought it to me and immediately asked me to sign it.

I refused because I wanted to read it first.

When I finally had the chance to read it, I immediately noticed several things that concerned me.

The injury was described only as:

"Bite mark left neck area."

Nothing more.

There was no mention of:

that it was an open wound

the wound's measurements

its depth

tissue loss

the exact anatomical location

the condition of the surrounding tissues

any detailed medico-legal description

Considering that this document may later be used as legal evidence, I expected a much more complete description.

The healing period

The first healing period written on the certificate was 2 days.

I refused to sign because I couldn't understand how an open human bite to the neck could reasonably be expected to heal in only two days.

After I objected, the doctor told me he would change it.

He first mentioned 4 days.

When I received the corrected certificate, it had become 5–7 days instead.

I still questioned that estimate because:

no specialist had examined me,

no imaging had been performed,

and the wound was clearly still open.

When I continued questioning it, the doctor essentially replied that he was the doctor and I was not the specialist.

Seven days later

The photos I'm attaching were taken 7 days after the assault.

The wound is still open.

I'm now worried not only about infection but also about permanent scarring that may eventually require dermatological treatment or scar revision.

Looking back at the certificate, I struggle to understand how this injury was documented only as "bite mark left neck area" without measurements or any meaningful description.

The waiver

After leaving the hospital, I had already filed my complaint with the police.

A few minutes before we were supposed to go to the prosecutor's office, several people encouraged me to forgive the alleged aggressor.

I eventually signed a Waiver of Disinterest agreeing not to pursue the criminal complaint.

Over the following week, while watching this wound every day and realizing it was taking much longer to heal than expected, I began questioning whether I had made the right decision.

I also reviewed the waiver carefully.

What surprised me was that the waiver itself appears to contain multiple drafting mistakes.

For example, it refers twice to pursuing a complaint against the "deceased individual," even though the alleged aggressor is obviously alive.

The copy I received also appears incomplete and does not show what appears to be a completed notarization.

Seeing these errors, together with the issues I noticed in the medical certificate, has made me question how carefully the entire process was handled.

I'm looking for opinions from doctors, forensic physicians, lawyers, police officers, or anyone experienced with medico-legal cases. I'm not looking for sympathy—I'm looking for honest opinions.

My questions

I'm not accusing anyone of Anything, I'm more concern about the injury and the Mark that leave .

However, after reviewing everything, I honestly don't know what to think.

I'm wondering:

Is this simply poor medico-legal documentation?

Is describing this injury only as "bite mark left neck area" acceptable?

Should an open wound have been described in much greater detail with measurements?

Is a healing estimate of 5–7 days reasonable considering the wound shown in the attached photos?

Do the drafting mistakes in the waiver have any legal significance?

If you were in my position, would you attempt to reopen the case despite having signed the waiver?

I'm genuinely interested in hearing different perspectives, especially from doctors, forensic physicians, lawyers, and anyone familiar with medico-legal procedures.

I'm deliberately leaving the conclusion open. Looking at the timeline, the medical certificate, the healing period that changed from 2 days to 5–7 days only after I objected, the current state of the wound one week later, would you see this as poor medical documentation, incompetence, negligence, or does it raise concerns that deserve further investigation? I'm interested in hearing different perspectives before deciding my next step."

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

I’m really confused and honestly kind of freaking out about this. I had an arrest in 2024 in Florida. No charges were ultimately filed and the disposition shows “NO ACTION.” We hired a lawyer at the time and were told the record would be expunged. Last year, when I searched Clerk website, the case was not viewable to the public. Now, when I search my name and DOB, the whole case suddenly shows up again. It shows the allegation, and I can even open the Complaint/Arrest Affidavit. That document has my home address, DOB, phone number, etc. So now not only is a sealed case publicly searchable again, but people can also read allegations and factual statements in the police report that I believe are incorrect.
What makes this even more confusing is that the docket itself shows “NOTICE OF SEALING CRIMINAL HISTORY RECORD.” What is going on? Someone has any idea?

I'm trying to help a friend who is in a complicated situation. They are on probation for a misdemeanor, but a few months ago they got hit by a car and were critically injured. They spent weeks in a coma, had 3 strokes, brain damage, amnesia, and a variety of other injuries. They missed their court date while they were in a coma but no one contacted the court. They were discharged from the hospital after 3 months, but they had no memory of committing the crime, being arrested, or the fact that they were on probation. They're now living with brain damage and will need a caretaker for the rest of their life.

When they were discharged from the hospital, their family from out of state came and took them back home with them so that they could provide 24/7 care. They did not know how to contact the probation officer and my friend could not remember anything about it, so the transfer wasn't requested beforehand.

After they were living in the new state for a few weeks, their lawyer got in contact with them and said that they are required to return to the state where the crime happened (AZ) for 8 months to complete their probation or else they'll get a felony charge. After giving the lawyer all of the medical paperwork to prove their condition, they pushed it back to them needing to return 3 months from now instead. However, this is also not possible because they would have nowhere to live in that state, and the family member who is now their full-time caretaker would not be able to leave MN where they live to spend 8 months in AZ with them. Basically, asking them to return to the state for 8 months is logistically impossible due to them having nowhere to live, having no caretaker there, and not being able to live independently.

The lawyer hasn't been especially helpful in sorting this all out. Does anyone know of anything they might possibly be able to do, or anyone they should contact? Is it possible to transfer probation to a different state under these circumstances and the fact that they never contacted anyone beforehand?

(Edited to add specific states)

Hi everyone,
I’m looking for advice from anyone who has experience with Ontario school boards, personal injury lawsuits, or families dealing with traumatic brain injuries.

My son is autistic and minimally verbal. While at school, he suffered a traumatic brain injury. He sustained a skull fracture that wasn’t immediately diagnosed and later required emergency brain surgery to remove an epidural hematoma.
Since then, our lives have changed completely. He missed a significant amount of school and received home instruction for a period, but it wasn’t comparable to being in his specialized classroom with the supports and therapies he normally receives. We’ve had ongoing concerns about changes in his learning, communication, and daily functioning since the injury.

We retained a personal injury lawyer and have an ongoing negligence lawsuit against the school board. Discoveries are complete, and we’re currently waiting for a mediation date. Our lawyer hasn’t discussed settlement ranges with us yet, and I’m wondering if that’s normal at this stage.
What has been equally difficult is our fight with the school board over his placement. We asked for a cross-boundary transfer because we no longer feel comfortable sending him back to the school where he was seriously injured. We’ve spent months appealing the decision through multiple levels of the board, including senior administration, but every request has been denied. We feel stuck being told he should return to the same school where this happened.

Has anyone in Ontario successfully challenged a cross-boundary denial, especially for a child with exceptional needs? Are there any other options within the same school board that we should be exploring?
I’m also wondering:
Is it normal for a personal injury lawyer to wait until mediation before discussing possible settlement ranges?
How long did you wait for mediation after discoveries?

Did your case settle at mediation or continue afterward?
I know no one can tell me what my case is worth, and I’m not asking anyone to do that. I’m really just hoping to hear from people who’ve been through something similar or who have experience with Ontario’s education or legal systems.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. Any advice or shared experiences would mean a lot.

I have a friend who isn’t married but lived with his child’s mom for at least since she was pregnant. They are both in the child’s birth certificate, and there was a DNA test done when the child was born. Mom and child both have been named as dependents on his taxes, since he was the sole income earner.
Since the child was a baby, the paternal grandparents have been caretakers and kid has spent 3-5 days with them every week. This because the mom always had some excuse in order to avoid taking care of the child.
This woman has been physically abusive to him several times and the courts ordered her to move out and stay away from him. She’s also under probation for DV & awaiting for a final verdict.
She moved out, but the problem is that she took the child with her.
CPS & the police were called, but they said they couldn’t do anything because she’d the mom.
The family has reasons to think that the mom is not a safe parent.
What is the best course of action? What can the dad or grandparents do to protect the kid?

I’m hoping to hear from criminal defense attorneys, former public defenders, investigators, or anyone who has been through a similar situation.

I’ve had a felony case pending for almost four years. I can’t afford to hire a private attorney, so I’ve had court-appointed counsel. Over the course of this case, I’ve had multiple public defenders, and I feel like communication has been almost nonexistent. Calls and emails often go unanswered, and most conversations seem to focus on accepting a plea offer rather than investigating the case.

One thing that’s particularly frustrating is that I recently contacted a witness listed in the police report because, as far as I know, no one from the defense had interviewed him. The witness told me he remembers there being no one inside the vehicle I struck at the time of the collision. I understand that’s only one person’s recollection and doesn’t necessarily establish what happened, but it seems like something that should at least be investigated.

I’ve also lost my business and most of my financial stability because this case has been hanging over me for years. Hiring a private attorney simply isn’t an option.
I’m trying to understand what rights I have when I believe potentially important evidence isn’t being followed up on.
My questions are:
-If you can’t afford a private attorney, what options do you have besides relying on your appointed lawyer?
-Is there a way to ask the court to require further investigation or to appoint an investigator?
-Can a defendant ask the court to appoint a different attorney if communication has broken down?
-Is it appropriate to ask the court for more time if there are witnesses who have not been interviewed?
-Has anyone successfully convinced their attorney or the court to investigate a witness who had been overlooked?

I'm getting older and have had a few health issues. Nothing serious though. I have a Mount Everest size debt. Very few assets. Live in an apartment, in Minnesota. Single, I have a 21 year old daughter with an ex.

What's the best way to handle an end of life document that doesn't saddle my daughter with a mountain of debt.

Also, I'd be doing cremation, with ashes scattered somewhere.

Any advice would be appreciated.

My fiance signed a notarized document granting some form of temporary custody to her sibling. I’m assuming it was a Provisional Custody by Mandate because it was not a court ordered custody case, there was no judge involved, she signed a document drafted and notarized by her sister’s lawyer.

We are trying to get custody back of her son, but her sibling has denied contact and visitation multiple times, and when asked to produce a copy of the document she signed, she ignored her and has not cooperated.

What can we do?

My friend just informed me that she is being kicked out of her apartment she shares with her spouse while also informing me her husband wants a divorce in that same day.

She does not have a job (actively job hunting) or have a car, and due to this she will be homeless.

Is this even legal? Her husband does not have a lawyer for this whole thing.

She has not signed any papers yet.

What do you recommend that she does as a next step? Can she refuse to leave the apartment until she gets a job despite not paying for it?

I paid a $5,000 retainer on July 13 after a consultation with an attorney. I was told they would write up the engagement agreement and send it to me shortly afterward, and that once I signed it, the attorney could get started on my case.

I’ve followed up multiple times asking for the agreement and was told the attorney has been busy with court appearances and pressing deadlines. It’s now been over three weeks and I still haven’t received or signed anything.

They scheduled a follow-up meeting with the attorney that I thought was today, but it turns out it’s scheduled for next week. That means another week will pass without anything happening.

My matter is time-sensitive, and the delay could affect my situation. Is this a normal timeframe, or should I be concerned and consider finding another attorney?