Some members said they felt left in the dark about what their lawyer was actually doing on their behalf. Some said their lawyer had to be kept under constant pressure to do anything at all.

One member suffered her lawyer's "complete refusal to communicate with me in a way that suited me". Another couldn't get beyond her lawyer's secretary. "The secretary functioned as a true watchdog. I had no access to our lawyer."

Talk about it

Before you accept a lawyer, discuss what sort of reporting you expect and ask how long the job will take. You don't need a detailed report on the technicalities, just a regular, plain-language update.

Remember, you'll probably be charged for the reporting time.

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