Truck Accident Lawyer
Uber Accident Lawyer
Lyft Accident Lawyer
Knowledge, experience, and dedication have brought the lawyers of The Epstein Law Firm to the forefront of their profession. From personal injury to civil litigation, they have built a strong record of success in achieving justice for their clients.
Our practice is diverse and well-established. Recognizing that every case is unique, we always begin by listening to you.
The Epstein Law Firm, P.A. has been successfully representing clients throughout New Jersey since 1973
A missed deadline, a contract that failed to protect you, or advice that left you facing an unexpected loss can make it difficult to trust another attorney. The first step is to put the legal work and its consequences together: what was your lawyer supposed to do, what happened instead, and what difference did it make?
The Epstein Law Firm handles New Jersey legal malpractice claims, including matters involving litigation and transaction documents. Our firm’s reported results include settlements involving legal malpractice and securities fraud, as well as errors in business transaction documents. That experience matters when understanding the original dispute is as important as understanding the lawyer’s conduct.
You do not need to diagnose the problem before contacting us. Bring the decision, agreement or correspondence that raised your concern. We can discuss the records needed for an independent assessment and whether there are current deadlines in the underlying matter that also need attention.
The Epstein Law Firm
New Jersey Legal Malpractice
Speak with The Epstein Law Firm about your situation and the next steps.
Call now
An unfavorable result does not establish negligence by itself. A legal malpractice claim requires a duty arising from the attorney-client relationship, a departure from the applicable professional standard, and a loss caused by that departure. New Jersey’s legal malpractice jury charge addresses those requirements.
The engagement agreement helps establish the assignment. Was the lawyer retained to file a lawsuit, negotiate a purchase, review a release, or handle only a limited part of a larger matter? Emails, advice and the work actually performed can also be important. A review should identify the specific responsibility before deciding whether it was mishandled.
Then comes the loss. A complaint that an attorney was difficult to reach deserves an explanation, but a damages claim needs evidence of what the conduct cost you. Keeping those questions connected helps separate a potentially viable claim from dissatisfaction that calls for a different response.
The documents often tell a more useful story than the final result alone. Concerns worth examining include:
These are starting points for investigation, not automatic findings of malpractice. The same apparent error can have different consequences depending on the assignment, available evidence and underlying law.
A malpractice case may require examining the original lawsuit or transaction in detail. In a lost lawsuit, that can mean showing what evidence would have supported a recovery. In a transaction, it can mean examining the protection competent advice or drafting could have provided and whether a different outcome was realistically available.
This is sometimes called a case within a case. It does not mean every malpractice lawsuit must mechanically repeat an earlier trial. In Garcia v. Kozlov, Seaton, Romanini & Brooks, the New Jersey Supreme Court explained that the method of proof depends on the facts and issues, with different approaches available.
Expert work may be needed both to evaluate the representation and to connect the error to the loss. The courts’ January 2025 jury-charge update addresses expert testimony on causation and damages in legal malpractice matters. A persuasive claim needs an explanation supported by records, not simply a larger number that someone believes the original case should have produced.
Save the information you already have before trying to organize everything perfectly. Keep complete email chains and attachments, original electronic documents, billing statements, offers and court notices. Make a short timeline identifying when you learned of the problem and any steps taken to correct it.
For an initial discussion, useful materials include:
Explain which documents are missing and who may hold them. If a hearing, appeal, closing or response deadline remains open, flag it at the beginning of the conversation. Reviewing a possible claim against the former lawyer is a separate task from protecting your position in the original matter. Confirm who is handling each responsibility.
New Jersey generally applies a six-year limitations period to legal malpractice claims, as the Supreme Court held in McGrogan v. Till. Determining when that period begins requires attention to actual harm and when you discovered, or reasonably should have discovered, its connection to negligent legal work.
Do not assume an ongoing appeal postpones the analysis. Grunwald v. Bronkesh explains that a claim can accrue while the underlying dispute is still being litigated. Have the dates reviewed rather than relying on the date the entire matter finally ended.
Covered professional negligence actions also have an early affidavit-of-merit requirement. That makes access to records and appropriate professional review important before and after a lawsuit begins.
If your main concern is an excessive bill, New Jersey’s fee arbitration process addresses whether the charge is reasonable. It cannot award malpractice damages. An ethics grievance concerns professional misconduct and possible discipline. A claim involving stolen client money may fall within the separate Lawyers’ Fund for Client Protection rules.
The Epstein Law Firm also handles attorney fee disputes. Tell us whether you want a bill reviewed, compensation for a separate loss, or help understanding conduct that concerns you. More than one issue may exist, but using one process does not establish the requirements of another.
The firm’s published legal malpractice results include transaction-document disputes, where the investigation must explain both the attorney’s work and the financial consequences of the underlying deal. The selected results below provide concrete examples; they do not establish the value or likely outcome of another person’s case.
Our related practices include professional malpractice and civil litigation. That combination is relevant when a legal error arises within a contract dispute, business matter or other civil proceeding. The work begins with understanding the original problem, not assuming every disappointing outcome is actionable.
Contact The Epstein Law Firm for a free consultation about your concerns. Explain what happened, what remains unresolved and the result you want reviewed. Ask about the scope of any proposed representation, fees and expenses before deciding how to proceed.
Tell our team which legal work concerns you and what loss followed. Bring the agreement, correspondence and decisions you have, and flag any unresolved deadlines so we can discuss the records and next steps needed for review.
Selected results reported by The Epstein Law Firm.
Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Each case depends on its own facts, evidence, and applicable law.
These excerpts describe experiences with the firm. They are not identified as cases in this practice area and do not predict another outcome.
“April was very professional and helped us tremendously. She explained everything thoroughly so that we understood the process from start to finish. We appreciate everything she did for us. We could not have had a better attorney.”
— Agnes · Read the full Google review
“Throughout the experience, I felt supported, well informed, and confident in the guidance I received. I truly appreciate your diligence, professionalism, and commitment to achieving a fair and favorable outcome. I would confidently recommend your firm to anyone seeking high-quality legal representation.”
— Elisa · Read the full Google review
These answers provide general information. The assignment, evidence, jurisdiction and timing of the events can change the analysis of an individual matter.
No. Losing a case does not by itself establish legal malpractice. A claim requires evidence of a duty, deficient professional work and a resulting loss. The inquiry examines the lawyer’s conduct under the circumstances, rather than treating an unfavorable decision as proof that the representation was negligent.
Start with a specific concern: an omitted claim, ignored document, missed deadline or advice you believe was incorrect. Bring the underlying file and explain why the issue mattered. Evaluating the loss may require reconstructing what competent representation could have achieved. That review can distinguish a potentially actionable error from a result the evidence or law would have produced anyway.
Sources: New Jersey Model Civil Jury Charge 5.51A — Legal Malpractice; New Jersey Courts — January 2025 Legal Malpractice Charge Update.
A missed deadline can support a malpractice claim, but a damages case also requires proof that the error caused a loss. Review must address the applicable deadline, the lawyer’s responsibility for meeting it, whether any remedy remained, and the merits of the claim that was allegedly lost.
Keep the engagement agreement, communications about filing, and any dismissal order. Also preserve evidence from the original dispute, such as contracts, photographs or witness information. An expert may need those materials to evaluate both the representation and its consequences. Do not assume the dismissal order alone answers every question, or that the original case’s claimed amount automatically becomes the value of the malpractice claim.
Documents showing the financial effect of the alleged mistake help distinguish an actual loss from an estimate or expectation. Relevant materials may include transaction statements, payments, settlement records and expenses connected with correcting the problem. The amount sought needs a supported connection to the legal work being challenged.
Keep both favorable and unfavorable evidence, and explain how you calculated each amount. A larger demand in the original case does not establish that the case would have produced that recovery. Professional analysis may be necessary to explain causation and damages. Examples of the firm’s transaction-document cases show the kinds of financial disputes that can arise, but those results cannot be used as a price list for another claim.
Sources: New Jersey Courts — January 2025 Legal Malpractice Charge Update; The Epstein Law Firm — Verdicts and Settlements.
Many legal malpractice claims require professional expert support, and covered claims are subject to New Jersey’s affidavit-of-merit statute. The affidavit is a preliminary statement from an appropriate professional that there is a reasonable probability the work departed from acceptable standards. It is not a final decision that malpractice occurred.
The statute generally requires delivery within 60 days after the defendant files an answer, with a possible additional period for good cause. Exceptions and the correct professional qualifications need case-specific review. Separate expert analysis may also be needed later on the standard of care, causation and damages. Ask about these requirements early; obtaining a preliminary affidavit does not replace preparing the evidence needed to prove the claim.
Sources: N.J.S.A. 2A:53A-27 — Affidavit-of-Merit Requirements; New Jersey Model Civil Jury Charge 5.51A — Expert Testimony; New Jersey Courts — January 2025 Legal Malpractice Charge Update.
New Jersey generally uses a six-year limitations period for legal malpractice. Under the discovery rule, the starting point depends on damage and when you discovered, or reasonably should have discovered, that it was attributable to negligent legal advice. The clock does not necessarily wait until another lawyer gives the problem a legal name.
Bring the initial ruling, later decisions and correspondence identifying the possible error to an independent review. Include the dates you incurred costs or otherwise suffered a loss, and explain when you learned what had happened. Counsel needs that chronology to assess the deadline. Do not choose a starting date simply because it is the latest event in your file or the date you first considered seeking another opinion.
Sources: N.J.S.A. 2A:14-1 — Six-Year Limitations Period; New Jersey Superior Court — Shah v. Shroff, Discussion of McGrogan and Grunwald.
No. Whether a fee is reasonable and whether negligent legal work caused a separate loss are different questions. New Jersey’s fee arbitration committees can decide fee disputes within their jurisdiction, but they cannot award compensation for legal malpractice. Some situations involve both issues and need a coordinated assessment.
Gather the fee agreement, itemized bills, payment records and correspondence disputing particular charges. Separately identify any loss you believe resulted from the lawyer’s work. If you receive a formal notice concerning a fee lawsuit, have its response requirements reviewed promptly. Do not assume that challenging an invoice also files a malpractice claim or resolves the evidence and deadline requirements for seeking damages.
Sources: New Jersey Judiciary — How to Dispute an Attorney’s Fee; New Jersey Model Civil Jury Charge 5.51A — Requirements for Legal Malpractice.
An ethics grievance is a process for investigating professional misconduct and possible discipline, rather than a substitute for pursuing malpractice damages. A civil claim has its own requirements. The same events may raise more than one concern, but an allegation or disciplinary finding should not be treated as automatically establishing a damages claim.
Use the Judiciary’s current grievance instructions if you want to report conduct, and obtain separate advice about financial recovery. Keep the grievance, supporting records and all responses. Explain any pending litigation because it may affect the disciplinary review. Most importantly, have the civil filing dates assessed independently instead of assuming that a grievance has preserved a lawsuit or that you must await a disciplinary outcome before seeking advice.
Sources: New Jersey Courts — File an Ethics Grievance; New Jersey Judiciary — How to Dispute an Attorney’s Fee and Separate Remedies.
Attorney theft may qualify for consideration by New Jersey’s Lawyers’ Fund for Client Protection, subject to its eligibility rules and the attorney’s status. The Fund addresses qualifying dishonest conduct; it does not generally reimburse losses from negligent advice, an unsuccessful lawsuit or a fee disagreement.
Preserve the settlement statement, payment records, bank documents and communications about where the money went. Review the Fund’s application instructions and ask about the evidence and filing deadline for your circumstances. A Fund application, ethics grievance and possible civil claim serve different purposes. Disclose related proceedings and other payments when required, and obtain advice about available recovery without assuming the Fund will accept or pay a claim automatically.
Sources: New Jersey Courts — Lawyers’ Fund for Client Protection; New Jersey Judiciary — Fee Disputes and the Limits of the Client Protection Fund.
New Jersey’s professional conduct rule requires a departing lawyer to take reasonably practicable steps to protect the client’s interests, including surrendering papers and property to which the client is entitled. The rule also prohibits asserting a common-law retaining lien. Questions about particular materials or other legal restrictions may still require review.
Make a clear written request identifying the matter and where the file should be delivered, and retain a copy. Tell replacement counsel about approaching deadlines and any missing documents. A fee dispute should be addressed through the appropriate process rather than left to obscure the immediate need to protect the underlying matter. Organize the records received without altering the originals or deleting communications that may explain the work performed.
Sources: New Jersey Supreme Court — RPC 1.16(d), Termination Duties and Retaining Liens; New Jersey Judiciary — How to Dispute an Attorney’s Fee.
Yes. Negligent advice or drafting in a transaction can create a potential legal malpractice claim even when the lawyer was not handling a lawsuit. The analysis still requires a connection between the professional work and an actual loss. An unsuccessful business deal alone does not establish that connection.
Keep drafts, written instructions, negotiations, signed agreements and records showing the financial consequences. Identify the protection you expected the legal work to provide and what you believe would have happened with adequate advice. Expert testimony may be needed to support that explanation rather than relying on hindsight. The Epstein Law Firm’s published results include transaction-document malpractice matters, but each new claim must be assessed on its own evidence.
Sources: New Jersey Courts — January 2025 Update on Proximate Cause and Damages in Legal Malpractice; The Epstein Law Firm — Verdicts and Settlements.
No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey. Rating methodology
The Epstein Law Firm serves clients from three New Jersey locations:
Call for a free consultation.
$31,000,000
$13,585,000
*Results may vary depending on your particular facts and legal circumstances. *No aspect of the advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court. View Rating Methodology
Δ
<span data-mce-type="bookmark" style="display: inline-block; width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 0;" class="mce_SELRES_start"></span>
340 West Passaic Street Rochelle Park, NJ 07662
Fax: 201-845-5973 201-231-7847
Map + Directions
560 Sylvan Avenue, Suite 1000-A Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632 (By Appointment Only)
201-734-3763
Map + directions
18-20 Lackawanna Plaza, Suite 200 Montclair, NJ 07042 (By Appointment Only)
973-381-8410
The Epstein Law Firm
The Epstein Law Firm