Can I fire my court appointed lawyer on the day of trial?

Get Legal Help Today

Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save

secured lock Secured with SHA-256 Encryption

Can I fire my court appointed lawyer on the day of trial?

Asked on December 6, 2012 under Criminal Law, Massachusetts

Answers:

B.H.F., Member, Texas State Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney

Answered 11 years ago | Contributor

You can proceed forward without an attorney at anytime.  Before a judge will let you proceed foward, they will spend some time questioning and admonishing you that if you go forward without an attorney, that you may have to represent yourself and you will have to follow the rules of procedure like an attorney would.  Even though you fire your attorney on the day of trial, the court does not have to grant you a continuance to find an attorney of your own choosing.  This means that you could be stuck going foward without representation.  Before you you decide to fire your current attorney, a better avenue would be to get them to file a motion for continuance to give you additional time to find an attorney that you feel will better serve your interests. 


IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.

Get Legal Help Today

Find the right lawyer for your legal issue.

secured lock Secured with SHA-256 Encryption