How can I end one law firm's representation after hiring another firm?

Make Your Choice Clear and Put It in Writing

If two law firms appear to represent you in the same personal injury claim, do not rely on a phone conversation or assume that hiring the second firm automatically ends the first firm's work. Send the first firm a dated written notice stating that you are ending its representation for the car accident claim.

Your notice can be brief. It should include:

• Your full name and reliable contact information.
• The date and basic description of the accident.
• A clear statement that the firm's authority to represent you is terminated.
• The name and contact information of the law firm you have chosen, if you authorize disclosure.
• Instructions to transfer your complete file to you or your chosen firm.
• A request for an itemized statement of expenses and any fee position the former firm intends to assert.
• A request for written confirmation that the firm received and processed the termination.

Keep a copy and proof of delivery. Email may provide a useful record, but your representation agreement may contain specific notice instructions. Review both firms' agreements before sending the notice.

Tell the Insurer Which Firm Has Authority

An insurer that has received letters from two firms may pause communications or ask for clarification. This protects against sending private claim information, settlement papers, or payment to the wrong person.

You or your chosen lawyer should give the adjuster written notice that identifies the only firm currently authorized to act for you. The notice should revoke the former firm's authority and provide the new firm's contact information. Ask the insurer to update its claim file and confirm the change.

Do not assume the insurer will decide between the firms. The injured person must make the choice. Until the insurer receives a clear instruction, duplicate representation letters can create confusion about who may request records, discuss the claim, or receive correspondence.

Arrange a Complete File Transfer

The new firm needs more than the insurer's claim number. A prompt transfer helps avoid duplicated work and preserves the history of the claim. Ask for the complete file, including:

• The signed representation and fee agreement.
• Letters sent to insurers, medical providers, witnesses, and other parties.
• Insurance declarations pages, coverage correspondence, and claim numbers.
• The crash report, photographs, video, witness information, and vehicle records.
• Medical records, bills, visit summaries, and authorizations.
• Records of lost income and other documented expenses.
• Settlement demands, offers, releases, or other proposed agreements.
• A list of upcoming deadlines and any lawsuit documents.
• An accounting of costs advanced by the former firm.

The scope of legal representation and the basis for fees and expenses ordinarily should be documented in writing. Comparing the two agreements can show whether both firms were retained for the same bodily injury claim, whether another part of the accident was included, and how case expenses are addressed.

Ending Representation Does Not Automatically Resolve Fees

Terminating a firm does not necessarily erase work already performed or costs already advanced. The result depends on the written agreement, the services provided, the reason the relationship ended, and North Carolina law. The former firm may state that it has a claim for compensation or reimbursement if money is later recovered.

Ask for a written explanation rather than trying to resolve the issue through the insurance adjuster. The former and current firms may be able to address the matter without interfering with the injury claim. Any division of a legal fee between separate firms requires attention to the work performed, responsibility for the representation, the client's written agreement, and whether the total fee is reasonable.

Do not sign a new document about prior fees or authorize payment without understanding it. Likewise, do not assume that changing firms necessarily means paying two full contingency fees. The agreements and circumstances must be reviewed.

Protect the Claim While Representation Changes

A change of lawyers does not stop a filing deadline. N.C. Gen. Stat. § 1-52 provides a three-year period for many North Carolina claims involving injury to a person or property, although different claims may have different deadlines. Discussions with an insurer, a pending file transfer, or disagreement between law firms does not automatically extend the time to file a lawsuit.

The chosen firm should promptly determine:

• The accident date and any approaching filing deadline.
• Whether a lawsuit has already been filed.
• Whether any settlement, release, or other binding document has been signed.
• Whether the insurer has made an offer or requested a recorded statement.
• Whether evidence still needs to be collected or preserved.
• Whether medical bills, reimbursement claims, or other interests may affect eventual settlement funds.

If a lawsuit is already pending, simply sending a termination letter may not complete the change. Court rules and an order allowing withdrawal or substitution may be required. The lawyers should coordinate the necessary filing so court notices and deadlines are not missed.

How This Applies When Two Firms Contact the Same Insurer

Here, the insurer had already received a representation letter from one firm when another firm requested claim information. The immediate issue is not which firm contacted the insurer most recently. It is which firm the injured person currently and knowingly wants to represent them.

The individual should confirm that choice in writing to both firms and authorize the selected firm to notify the insurer. The selected firm can then request the claim history, determine what the first firm already submitted, and confirm whether any offers, statements, authorizations, or releases exist. That coordination can reduce duplicated requests and prevent inconsistent communications.

The individual should also review both signed agreements. If the first agreement covered the same bodily injury claim, the former firm may need to provide the file and a written accounting of work and expenses. If the agreements covered different parts of the accident, the scope of each firm's authority should be clarified rather than assumed.