NJ – Bar Complaint Process

Location: NJ

I worked with a law firm for a year and a half on a civil matter, and it’s very clear to me that they acted unethically and potentially committed malpractice. They lied to me, did zero work, gave subpar legal advice (if they gave me any), were extremely evasive and vague, lost evidence, didn’t act in good faith, and my emails and questions often remained unanswered. I’m leaving this vague on purpose, but you get the idea. That’s the tip of the iceberg.

The case was on contingency, and after trying to retain another lawyer for a year, I finally found a great firm willing to take over the case (not an easy feat). And yes, I was able to get out of the lien.

My questions are as follows:

1. Can I file a bar complaint if litigation is still ongoing but the previous attorney is no longer involved in the case?

2. Is it worth filing a bar complaint? It looks like it would be a decent amount of work, and if nothing will come of it, I won’t waste my time.

3. If I wanted to pursue a malpractice case against them, I have to wait until the matter is settled to prove damages, right? I’m worried about the statute of limitations because I started to realize they weren’t acting in my best interest very early on in my relationship with them. They (not the courts or the defense) are the reason that this case has been going on for a year and a half.

I am reticent to get involved in more litigation, but I do believe they deserve to be disciplined and/or put on notice. They’re taking advantage of people when they’re at their most vulnerable, and I find that kind of conduct to be abhorrent.

Thanks in advance.

Edited for clarity