3.130(1.3) Diligence

Lawyers have to work on their clients' cases in a timely way. This means they can't sit on a case for months without doing anything, and they can't drag their feet on important deadlines or tasks. If a client hires a lawyer to handle a legal matter, the lawyer needs to actually move the case forward and get things done.

This rule protects clients from lawyers who take on too much work, get distracted, or simply forget about a case. Missing deadlines, ignoring phone calls, or letting a case sit without action can hurt a client badly. For example, a lawyer might miss a filing deadline that causes a client to lose their right to sue, or a delay could cause evidence to disappear or witnesses to become hard to find.

If a lawyer fails to act with reasonable speed and effort, the client can file a complaint with the state bar. Depending on how serious the delay was and what harm it caused, the lawyer could face discipline ranging from a warning to losing their license to practice law.