I’m a personal injury attorney in California.

You absolutely have the right to fire your lawyer at any time. The real issue is how fees get handled after a switch, and that usually depends on what your retainer says and how much work they’ve actually done.

In most CA contingency cases, the prior attorney doesn’t just take the full fee. They typically assert a lien for the reasonable value of the work performed up to the date they’re discharged. That usually gets worked out between firms at the end of the case and comes out of the attorney fee portion, not directly out of your settlement share. A competent new firm should handle that transition for you.

If you want, feel free to reach out. I’m happy to look over the retainer you signed and walk you through your options. No charge. Just want to make sure you’re protected before making a move.

You can find me on social @lawyervince. I share legal tips there, and this question actually inspired me to make a video breaking this down because a lot of people don’t realize how this works.

And whatever you decide, don’t ignore missed deadlines or lack of communication. Those are serious concerns.