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Legal Malpractice Attorney for Suing a Family Lawyer

When Divorce, Custody, or Support Were Damaged Because Your Lawyer Failed to Do Their Job

When a family lawyer makes a serious mistake, the consequences are immediate and often permanent. A missed deadline can cost you parenting time. A forgotten QDRO can erase retirement benefits. A rushed or poorly advised settlement can lock you into years of financial harm.

This page specifically explains how legal malpractice works when the attorney who harmed you was a family lawyer handling your divorce, custody, child support, or property case.

Most people don’t realize the damage until it’s too late to fix inside family court — and that’s when legal malpractice becomes the only remaining path.

This page exists to answer the question almost every malpractice client asks:

“Was this just a bad outcome… or was it legal malpractice by my family lawyer?”

If your attorney failed to act, failed to file something important, or gave negligent advice that materially harmed your rights, you may have a family law malpractice case. 

What Family Law Malpractice Actually Looks Like

Family law malpractice occurs when a family lawyer’s negligence — such as missed deadlines, QDRO failures, custody-related errors, or incorrect legal advice — causes measurable financial or legal harm that would not have occurred if the attorney had acted competently.

Family law is one of the practice areas where legal malpractice occurs most frequently.  Cases move fast, deadlines are strict, emotions run high, and small errors create permanent consequences.

These are the major malpractice patterns we see again and again.

Deadline Mistakes That Commonly Lead to Family Law Malpractice

A single missed deadline can reshape the entire case.  Common malpractice-related deadline failures include:

• Missing custody modification deadlines
• Allowing temporary orders to expire without action
• Failing to file enforcement motions
• Missing filing deadlines for objections or appeals
• Missing mediation or hearing dates
• Failing to meet discovery timelines

  Deadlines in family law are unforgiving. When they are missed without strategic reason, it is often clear negligence.

QDRO-Related Errors We Commonly See in Family Law Cases

QDRO (Qualified Domestic Relations Order) errors are among the most damaging and preventable mistakes family lawyers make.

QDRO Errors That Frequently Constitute Malpractice

• Not advising that a QDRO was required
• Failing to draft or file the QDRO
• Waiting until after the divorce decree was entered
• Using incorrect language
• Not sending the QDRO to the plan administrator
• Allowing the other spouse to cash out or move retirement assets

  QDRO mistakes often result in five- or six-figure losses, making them some of the strongest family law malpractice cases.

Custody Errors That Often Lead to Malpractice

Custody cases require urgent action, complete evidence, and strategic filings. Negligence in custody matters can permanently affect a parent–child relationship.

Common Custody Errors That May Constitute Malpractice

• Failing to file for temporary custody
• Not requesting emergency orders when necessary
• Ignoring evidence of abuse, instability, or safety concerns
• Not presenting key documents or witness testimony
• Failing to challenge false statements
• Showing up unprepared to hearings
• Missing deadlines for custody modification

  When lawyer inaction leads to custody loss, the consequences are long-term and profound.

Settlement Malpractice

A divorce settlement must reflect informed consent and competent legal guidance. When a lawyer fails these duties, the outcome may be malpractice.

How Settlement Negligence Happens

• Pressuring the client to settle quickly
• Failing to conduct financial discovery
• Not reviewing assets or income before negotiations
• Giving incorrect legal advice about rights or obligations
• Missing hidden assets
• Recommending settlement based on incomplete or wrong information

If your settlement was shaped by negligence rather than strategy, it may be actionable.

Child Support Calculation Errors

Child support calculations have strict rules. Mistakes can lead to years of overpayment or underpayment.

Common Attorney Errors in Support Calculations

• Using incorrect guideline formulas
• Accepting the other parent’s claimed income without verification
• Failing to submit accurate financial disclosures
• Not challenging incorrect numbers
• Missing deadlines for modification
• Miscalculating deductions or credits

Support errors compounded over time can cause significant financial harm.

Failure to Act or Communicate

Attorney inaction is a surprisingly common form of malpractice.

Negligent Inaction Includes

• Not responding to emails or messages
• Failing to notify clients of hearings
• Missing mediation or court dates
• Not filing motions the client requested
• Failing to enforce court orders
• Ignoring deadlines
• Not preparing for trial or hearings

If the attorney’s silence or inaction caused harm, it may constitute malpractice.

Silent or inattentive representation becomes family law malpractice only when the lawyer’s inaction caused measurable legal or financial harm.

Evidence Mishandling

Family court hinges on evidence — documents, messages, reports, photos, and witness statements.

Examples of Evidence-Handling Malpractice

• Not gathering available evidence
• Failing to submit evidence to the court
• Ignoring critical documents
• Not requesting records from schools, police, or medical providers
• Not calling essential witnesses

When evidence is mishandled, the resulting harm is often significant and preventable.

Evidence mishandling becomes family law malpractice when it directly affects custody, support, property division, or enforcement outcomes.

Example: A lawyer failed to submit key school and medical records during a custody hearing, leaving the judge with an incomplete picture that resulted in a harmful custody order.

Wrong or Misleading Legal Advice

Incorrect legal advice is one of the most damaging forms of family law malpractice.

Examples of Wrong Advice That May Be Malpractice

• Saying a QDRO “isn’t urgent”
• Misinforming you about child support or custody rights
• Advising against temporary orders without reason
• Incorrectly explaining property division laws
• Pressuring you into an uninformed settlement

If you relied on advice that was legally wrong and it caused harm, that is a malpractice trigger.

If Any of This Sounds Familiar, You May Have a Malpractice Claim

Many people reading this section recognize their attorney’s failures instantly.  Something felt “off,” but they didn’t know what to call it.

Understanding whether your situation meets the legal standard for malpractice is the next step — and that is covered in the next major section.

When a Family Lawyer’s Mistake Becomes Legal Malpractice

Not every painful outcome in family court is malpractice. Family cases are emotional, unpredictable, and heavily influenced by judges. You can do everything right and still end up with a result that feels unfair.

Because of that, the law draws a critical line between:

• a bad result,
• a reasonable strategy you didn’t agree with, and
• true attorney negligence that harmed your rights.

This section explains that line clearly.

H3: What Counts as Legal Malpractice in Family Law?

For a family lawyer’s mistake to legally qualify as malpractice, three elements must be proven.

1. The Lawyer Owed You a Professional Duty

You must have had an attorney–client relationship.  This includes retained counsel or court-appointed counsel.  It does not include:

• opposing counsel,
• mediators,
• parent coordinators,
• judges.

2. The Lawyer Breached the Standard of Care

A breach happens when the attorney’s actions fall below what a reasonably competent family lawyer would have done.

Examples of a breach include:

• Missing required deadlines
• Failing to file a QDRO
• Giving incorrect legal advice
• Failing to submit evidence
• Allowing hearings to pass without preparation
• Not enforcing court orders
• Incorrect child support calculations
• Failing to investigate assets
• Not acting on urgent custody issues

This is not about perfection — it’s about the minimum level of professional competence.

3. The Lawyer’s Negligence Caused Real, Measurable Harm

There must be a direct connection between:

• the mistake, and
• the damage you suffered.

  Actionable harm includes:

• Loss of custody or parenting time
• Losing retirement benefits due to QDRO failure
• Overpaying or under-receiving child support
• An unfair settlement based on bad advice
• Losing the ability to modify orders
• Financial losses due to missed deadlines

Losing property or assets that should have been protected

If the harm would not have occurred without the attorney’s mistake, malpractice may have occurred.

What Does NOT Count as Legal Malpractice

We do not handle divorce representation, custody litigation, or appeals. We focus strictly on family law malpractice cases against family lawyers.

Many situations feel unfair or devastating but do not meet the legal definition of malpractice.

Understanding this prevents wasted time and frustration.

Judicial Decisions You Disagree With

Family judges have broad discretion.  A disagreeable ruling is not malpractice unless the attorney’s negligence directly caused the bad result.

Strategy Decisions You Didn’t Like

Examples:

• Your lawyer advised settlement instead of trial
• Your lawyer recommended negotiation over litigation
• Your lawyer chose one argument instead of another

If the decision was informed and reasonable at the time, it is not malpractice.

The Other Parent Lied or Manipulated

Dishonesty from your ex is not malpractice.  It becomes malpractice if your lawyer failed to:

• challenge false statements,
• present available evidence,
• or protect your rights.

You Regret Agreeing to a Settlement

Regret = not malpractice.  However, a settlement reached because of incorrect legal advice can be malpractice — that distinction matters.

Poor Communication Alone

Annoying, yes.  Unprofessional, maybe.  Malpractice? Not unless communication failures cause legal harm (missed deadlines, lost rights, etc.).

How We Determine Whether a Lawyer’s Mistake Is Legally Actionable

A malpractice evaluation is not a simple reading of your decree.  It is a detailed reconstruction of your entire case.

Step 1 — We Rebuild the Full Timeline

We analyze:

• what your lawyer knew,
• when they knew it,
• and what they should have done at each point.

  Documents include:

• pleadings
• emails
• text messages
• financial disclosures
• evidence packets
• hearing notices
• orders
• settlement drafts

Negligence often reveals itself instantly in the timeline.

Step 2 — We Identify All Attorney Obligations

Family lawyers must:

• meet deadlines,
• present evidence,
• advise on QDROs,
• investigate finances,
• enforce orders,
• respond to filings,
• take action on emergencies,
• and communicate major issues.

We compare this standard to what actually happened.

Step 3 — We Identify Errors, Omissions, or Failure to Act

Common errors discovered during reviews include:

• Missed or expired deadlines
• QDRO not filed
• Bad legal advice
• Failure to enforce court orders
• Miscalculated child support
• No financial investigation
• Evidence ignored or mishandled
• Failure to prepare for hearings
• Not acting on safety concerns

Patterns of negligence strengthen a case significantly.

Step 4 — We Connect the Mistake to the Harm

This is the heart of any family law malpractice case.

Examples of strong malpractice causation:

• QDRO failure → retirement money lost
• Missed custody deadline → loss of modification rights
• Wrong income numbers → years of incorrect child support
• Evidence withheld → custody lost
• Rushed settlement based on bad advice → unfair division

Without this connection, a family law malpractice case cannot proceed.

Step 5 — We Determine Whether the Harm Is Recoverable

We assess:

• whether the case meets the legal standard,
• whether the damages are measurable,
• and whether the statute of limitations allows a claim.

If the case is viable, we explain the next steps clearly.  If not, we tell you honestly why.

Real-World Examples of Family Law Malpractice (Anonymized)

These scenarios illustrate how malpractice usually appears (details anonymized):

QDRO Never Filed After Divorce

The lawyer said it “could be done later.”  It never was.  The ex cashed out the retirement account.  Six-figure loss. Clear malpractice.

Custody Emergency Ignored

Evidence of danger existed.  The lawyer failed to file emergency custody motions.  The child remained in an unsafe environment.  Actionable negligence.

Settlement Pushed Without Discovery

No asset investigation.  No financial disclosures.  Client pressured to sign quickly.  Settlement malpractice.

Incorrect Child Support Calculations

Wrong income numbers accepted.  No objections filed.  Client overpaid for years.  Financially measurable harm.

Missed Filing Deadline for Custody Modification

The deadline passed.  The client lost the chance to modify custody permanently.  Classic deadline malpractice.

Why Understanding This Distinction Matters in Family Law Malpractice

Family law malpractice cases rely on:

• proof,
• documentation,
• timelines,
• and demonstrated harm.

Knowing whether your lawyer’s actions meet the legal standard is the key to knowing whether you can recover damages — and what your next steps should be.

The Most Common Types of Family Law Malpractice

Family law creates more opportunities for attorney negligence than almost any other practice area.

We frequently investigate cases involving QDRO malpractice, custody malpractice, child support malpractice, settlement malpractice, and missed deadline malpractice, each with unique legal standards and damages.

Cases move fast, deadlines are strict, financial disclosures are complex, and custody issues require immediate action.  When a lawyer fails to do their job, the consequences are often permanent.

This section breaks down the high-risk malpractice categories we most often investigate.

For a deeper breakdown of each category — including QDRO malpractice, custody negligence, child support calculation errors, settlement malpractice, and missed deadline malpractice — visit our Family Law Malpractice Subpages.

QDRO Malpractice — One of the Most Frequent and Costly Attorney Failures

QDRO errors are some of the strongest and most provable family law malpractice cases because the process is simple, mandatory, and well-defined.

What QDRO Malpractice Looks Like

A lawyer may be negligent if they:

• Never advised you that a QDRO was required
• Promised to “handle it later” but never filed it
• Drafted the QDRO incorrectly
• Filed the QDRO after the divorce decree was entered
• Failed to send the QDRO to the plan administrator
• Ignored plan administrator requests
• Allowed the other spouse to move or cash out retirement funds
• Misunderstood how ERISA or plan rules applied

How QDRO Errors Cause Serious Harm

Common damages include:

• Loss of your entire share of retirement benefits
• Inability to recover funds after they are distributed
• Tax penalties or lost investment growth
• Delays that allow an ex-spouse to hide or spend assets

QDRO malpractice can create substantial financial loss because retirement accounts are often the largest marital asset.

This type of QDRO negligence is one of the most common forms of family law malpractice and often forms the basis of strong legal malpractice claims against family lawyers.

Example: A divorce lawyer failed to submit the QDRO for months after the decree, allowing the ex-spouse to withdraw the full retirement balance before the client’s share was protected.

Custody Malpractice — When Lawyer Negligence Hurts Parenting Rights

Custody cases move quickly and demand careful handling.  When a lawyer fails to act, fails to present evidence, or misses deadlines, the harm to a parent–child relationship can be permanent.

Examples of Custody-Related Attorney Negligence

• Failing to file for temporary custody or temporary orders
• Not requesting emergency custody when safety concerns existed
• Ignoring evidence of abuse, instability, or substance use
• Failing to challenge false or misleading statements
• Not presenting available documents, photos, or messages
• Not calling essential witnesses at a hearing
• Missing filing deadlines for modification
• Being unprepared for a custody trial or mediation

How Custody Errors Cause Long-Term Damage

Consequences may include:

• Loss of parenting time
• Reduced visitation
• Loss of joint decision-making authority
• Unsafe or unstable custody arrangements
• Court orders based on incomplete or incorrect evidence

Custody malpractice is often emotional and life-changing — and sometimes irreversible.

These custody-related errors are a major category of family law malpractice, especially when an attorney’s inaction or poor preparation directly harms a parent’s rights.

Example: A lawyer failed to file for temporary custody despite clear evidence of danger, resulting in a court order that drastically reduced a parent’s time with their child.

Settlement Malpractice — When You Were Pushed Into a Bad or Uninformed Divorce Agreement

A divorce settlement is only valid when it reflects informed consent.  If your lawyer failed to investigate finances, advise you properly, or negotiate competently, the resulting agreement may be malpractice.

How Settlement Malpractice Occurs

• Lawyer pressured you into settling quickly
• No financial discovery or investigation was completed
• Important assets were never identified
• Support calculations were wrong
• Lawyer negotiated without reviewing tax consequences
• Attorney gave incorrect legal advice about division of property or support
• Settlement was drafted based on assumptions instead of evidence

Signs Your Settlement May Be the Result of Malpractice

You may have a family law malpractice case if:

• You later discovered hidden or undisclosed assets
• You agreed to terms based on wrong or incomplete information
• Your lawyer minimized the long-term consequences
• You did not understand what you were giving up
• You were misled into thinking you “had no choice”

Settlement malpractice can create years — or decades — of financial harm.

Settlement-related failures are another significant source of legal malpractice claims against family lawyers, especially when a client relied on incorrect or incomplete legal advice.

Example: The lawyer advised the client to accept a settlement without any financial discovery, only for the client to later discover significant undisclosed assets.

Child Support Malpractice — When Your Lawyer Mishandled Income or Calculations

Child support calculations are governed by strict formulas. If your lawyer handled them incorrectly, the result may be malpractice.

Common Attorney Errors in Child Support Cases

• Applying the wrong formula or guideline
• Accepting incorrect income figures without verifying them
• Failing to submit your financial documents
• Not challenging the other parent’s false income claims
• Miscalculating deductions or credits
• Missing deadlines for modification
• Failing to correct clerical or judicial calculation errors

Child Support Harm That May Be Actionable

• Years of overpaying support
• Receiving far less support than you were entitled to
• Inaccurate arrears
• Inability to correct mistakes later
• Ongoing financial strain due to calculation negligence

Child support malpractice is often straightforward because the damage is numerical and measurable.

Incorrect child support calculations caused by attorney negligence are a clear example of family law malpractice, because the financial harm is measurable and often long-lasting.

Example: A lawyer accepted the other parent’s stated income without challenge, resulting in a child support order that forced the client to overpay for years.

Missed Deadline Malpractice — One of the Easiest Types of Negligence to Prove

Family law is full of strict deadlines. Missing a single date can permanently change a case — and it is almost never excusable.

Deadline Failures That Commonly Lead to Malpractice

• Missing motions or filing deadlines
• Missing deadlines for custody modifications
• Allowing temporary orders to expire
• Failing to respond to court filings on time
• Missing discovery deadlines
• Missing hearing or mediation dates
• Missing deadlines for objections or appeals

Why Missed Deadlines Often Establish Clear Malpractice

• The duty to meet deadlines is absolute
• Dates are documented in the court record
• There is no strategic justification for missing deadlines
• Consequences are immediate and measurable

Damage Caused by Missed Deadlines

• Loss of custody rights
• Loss of enforcement or modification opportunities
• Financial losses from incorrect orders that cannot be changed
• Loss of retirement or property rights
• Permanent disadvantage in the case

Missed-deadline family law malpractice cases are some of the strongest and most straightforward to prove.

Missed deadlines are among the strongest and most straightforward legal malpractice claims against family lawyers, because the damage is immediate, documented, and entirely preventable.

Example: An attorney missed the filing deadline for a custody modification, permanently preventing the client from seeking changes to the existing order.

When Multiple Errors Create a “Pattern of Negligence”

Some malpractice cases are built not on a single mistake but on a series of preventable errors, such as:

• poor communication
• failure to act
• inaccurate advice
• missed evidence
• faulty calculations
• unprepared hearings

Individually, some might not rise to malpractice. Together, they create overwhelming proof of family law malpractice.

When these issues occur together, they form a pattern that is often unmistakable in a family law malpractice evaluation.

What Happens During a Family Law Malpractice Review

A malpractice review gives you clarity about what happened, why it happened, and whether your family lawyer’s mistakes rise to the level of legal malpractice.  This is not a quick skim of your decree — it is a structured, detailed reconstruction of your entire case.

Below is exactly how the review works.

Step 1 — We Rebuild the Complete Timeline of Your Case

We start by gathering every relevant document, including:

• Court filings and case docket
• Settlement drafts
• Emails and text messages with your lawyer
• Evidence packets you provided
• Financial disclosures
• Hearing notices and orders
• Mediation summaries
• QDRO-related communications

Why the Timeline Matters

Most malpractice is revealed by:

• long gaps in action,
• missed deadlines,
• ignored evidence,
• or steps your lawyer failed to take.

The timeline shows exactly where the case went off track.

Step 2 — We Identify the Duties Your Lawyer Was Required to Fulfill

Family lawyers must meet a professional standard of care. That includes:

• Meeting all filing deadlines
• Advising you on QDRO requirements
• Presenting available evidence
• Investigating finances
• Responding to filings
• Enforcing court orders
• Preparing for hearings and mediation
• Acting when emergencies arise
• Communicating material information

How We Compare Duties to Actions

We analyze:

• what your lawyer should have done,
• what they did or did not do,
• and how those decisions impacted your case.

Step 3 — We Identify Errors, Omissions, and Failures to Act

Once we compare the timeline with attorney obligations, negligent actions begin to stand out clearly.

Errors Often Found in Malpractice Reviews

• Missed or expired deadlines
• QDRO never drafted or filed
• Incorrect legal advice
• Failure to enforce court orders
• Failure to investigate assets or income
• Evidence that was never presented
• Not preparing for hearings
• Not filing temporary or emergency motions
• Incorrect child support calculations
• Failure to respond to your messages or filings

We carefully document each failure and determine whether it represents a breach of the standard of care.

Step 4 — We Connect the Mistake to the Harm You Suffered

This is the heart of any family law malpractice case.  A mistake only becomes malpractice if it caused actual, measurable harm.

Examples of Clear Causation

• QDRO not filed → loss of retirement benefits
• Missed custody deadline → loss of modification rights
• Incorrect income used → overpayment of child support
• Failure to present evidence → unfavorable custody ruling
• Not enforcing court orders → loss of property or support
• Bad settlement advice → long-term financial damage

If the harm would not have happened but for the lawyer’s negligence, that is malpractice.

Step 5 — We Determine Whether the Case Is Legally Actionable

Even when negligence is obvious, we must confirm:

• whether the damages are recoverable,
• whether the statute of limitations still applies,
• whether the case meets the legal threshold for malpractice,
• and whether the evidence is strong enough to pursue a claim.

What This Final Determination Includes

• A clear yes/no answer
• An explanation of why
• A breakdown of damages (if applicable)
• What next steps look like
• Whether litigation or insurance negotiation is likely

You leave this step with clarity — not guessing.

What You Receive After the Review

Whether or not the case is actionable, you receive tangible clarity about your situation.

You Receive a Clear Answer

We tell you plainly whether malpractice occurred — and why.

You Understand the Mistakes Made

We identify the specific failures:

• what should have happened,
• what your attorney did instead,
• why it mattered.

You Get a Path Forward

Depending on the case:

• pursue a claim,
• seek damages,
• take corrective steps,
• or receive closure if malpractice did not occur.

Why Timing Matters in Malpractice Reviews

Family law malpractice cases have strict deadlines.  Waiting too long may permanently bar your ability to recover damages — even when the malpractice is obvious.

You Should Seek a Review Immediately If

• a QDRO was not filed,
• custody was lost due to attorney error,
• deadlines were missed,
• evidence was ignored,
• you received bad settlement advice,
• support was miscalculated,
• your lawyer stopped communicating,
• court orders weren’t enforced.

The sooner the review occurs, the more options remain available.

What Happens If You Decide to Move Forward

If your case qualifies as actionable malpractice:

• We gather all relevant documents
• We prepare a complete malpractice file
• We notify the attorney’s insurer
• We work with experts when necessary
• We outline your damages clearly
• We pursue recovery aggressively

Most family law malpractice cases are handled through the lawyer’s insurance — not public courtroom battles.

Why Clients Choose Us for Family Law Malpractice Cases

Family law malpractice cases against family lawyers are not ordinary cases. They require a precise understanding of family law procedure, professional standards, and how attorney errors translate into real-world harm.

Most lawyers do not handle these cases. Many avoid them entirely.

Clients come to us because we focus specifically on identifying attorney negligence — not retrying family court decisions or offering false hope.

We Focus on Legal Malpractice — Not Family Law Appeals

We do not:

• re-litigate custody cases,
• challenge judges’ discretion, or
• pursue cases based on frustration alone.

  We evaluate whether a family lawyer’s conduct fell below the professional standard of care and caused measurable harm.

  That focus allows us to:

• identify real malpractice quickly,
• avoid wasting your time on non-cases, and
• give you clear, direct answers.

We Understand the Most Common Failure Points in Family Law

Because we regularly review malpractice claims arising from family law matters, we know where errors most often occur, including:

• QDRO failures,
• missed deadlines,
• custody-related negligence,
• settlement errors,
• child support miscalculations, and
• failure to act or enforce court orders.

These issues follow predictable patterns — and knowing where to look matters.

We Tell You the Truth — Even When the Answer Is “No”

Not every mistake is malpractice.  Not every unfair outcome creates a claim.

If your situation does not meet the legal standard for malpractice, we will tell you clearly and explain why.

Many clients tell us that even when we cannot take their case, they leave the review with:

• clarity about what happened,
• confidence that their concerns were valid, and
• peace of mind about their next steps.

When You Should Request a Family Law Malpractice Review

You should request a review as soon as possible if any of the following apply:

• Your divorce lawyer failed to file a QDRO
• Your custody case was harmed by missed deadlines
• Your lawyer failed to act when action was required
• You were pressured into a settlement without proper advice
• Child support was calculated incorrectly
• Evidence was ignored or never presented
• Your lawyer stopped communicating and deadlines passed
• Court orders were not enforced

Delays can permanently eliminate your ability to recover damages — even when malpractice clearly occurred.

What a Malpractice Review Is — and What It Is Not

What It Is

• A focused review of attorney conduct
• A reconstruction of what should have happened
• An analysis of negligence and causation
• A clear determination of whether malpractice exists

What It Is Not

• A family law consultation
• An appeal
• A strategy session to retry your case
• A guarantee that every mistake equals malpractice

The purpose of the review is clarity, not false promises.

We do not advise or represent clients in active family law cases; our role begins only after attorney negligence has caused documented harm.

Take the First Step: Request a Family Law Malpractice Review

If your family lawyer’s mistake caused you to lose custody time, money, or legal rights, understanding whether that harm was preventable is critical.

Everything starts with a review.

Request a Family Law Malpractice Review

During the review, we will:

• examine what happened,
• explain whether malpractice occurred, and
• outline your options clearly and honestly.

We represent clients only in cases where a family lawyer’s negligence caused real, documentable harm — not in divorce, custody, support, or family-law litigation itself.

Call to Action

👉 Request a Family Law Malpractice Review

This page is intended to help determine whether a family lawyer’s negligence meets the legal standard for a malpractice claim, not to provide family law representation.

Family Law Malpractice – Frequently Asked Questions

FAQ 1: What counts as family law malpractice?

Family law malpractice occurs when a divorce or custody lawyer fails to meet the professional standard of care and that failure causes measurable harm—such as losing retirement funds, parenting time, or financial rights.

FAQ 2: What are the most common types of family law malpractice?

Common examples include QDRO errors, missed deadlines, custody mistakes, child support miscalculations, failure to investigate financial information, and giving incorrect legal advice about settlement terms.

FAQ 3: Is a bad outcome the same as legal malpractice?

No. A bad outcome alone is not malpractice. Malpractice requires negligence—meaning the lawyer failed to act as a competent attorney would—and that failure directly caused the harm.

FAQ 4: Can I sue my divorce lawyer for mishandling my case?

Yes, if the lawyer’s negligence caused financial loss, loss of parenting rights, or other measurable harm. A review is needed to determine whether the error meets the legal standard for malpractice.

FAQ 5: How do I know if my lawyer mishandled my QDRO, support, or custody issues?

Red flags include missed deadlines, incorrect filings, lack of investigation, improper guideline calculations, rushed settlements, and advice that turned out to be legally incorrect.

FAQ 6: What do I need to prove in a family law malpractice case?

You must show:

1. the lawyer owed you a duty,
2. they breached the standard of care,
3. the mistake caused the harm,
4. the damages are real and measurable.

FAQ 7: Do you handle active family law cases?

No. We do not handle divorce, custody, or support disputes. We only review and pursue cases involving past attorney negligence that resulted in permanent harm.

FAQ 8: What should I do if I think my attorney was negligent?

Request a malpractice review. We examine what happened, determine whether malpractice occurred, and explain your options clearly and honestly.

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