legal Steve Watrel
  Legal Malpractice  


Steve Watrel, P.A.

6129 Atlantic Blvd.
Jacksonville, FL 32211

Local Phone: (904) 723-0030
Toll Free: (800) 792-8735
There are many forms of legal malpractice:  Missing the statute of limitations, improper handling of personal injury cases, incorrect title searches in real estate transactions, breach of fiduciary duty, RICO and consumer protection statutes, conflicts of interest, substandard performance causing economic harm, and charging excessive fees, to name a few. Very few lawyers are willing to handle legal malpractice cases because they fear some form of retribution by the legal community. At our firm, clients always come first, no matter what.

To win a legal malpractice against an attorney, a former client must generally prove:

  1. The existence of an attorney-client relationship.
  2. Acts constituting negligence or breach of contract by the attorney.
  3. Acts by the attorney caused damage to the client.
  4. If it weren’t for the legal malpractice, the client would have been successful in his or her underlying claim or lawsuit.

A legal malpractice case generally involves proving what is known as a “case within a case” meaning that the client has the burden of proving that he or she would have prevailed in the underlying claim or lawsuit but for the attorney’s malpractice. If the client cannot prove that they would have been successful in the underlying claim or lawsuit, then any malpractice by the attorney cannot be considered a “legal cause” of damage to the client.

If you or a loved one has suffered as a result of legal malpractice, or know someone who has suffered as a result of legal malpractice, please call Steve Watrel, P.A. at (904) 723-0030, or (800) SWATREL (792-8735), or submit an online request. The initial consultation is free of charge and there is no obligation.