Can I fire my court appointed lawyer on the day of trial?
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Can I fire my court appointed lawyer on the day of trial?
Asked on December 6, 2012 under Criminal Law, Massachusetts
Answers:
B.H.F., Member, Texas State Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 12 years ago | Contributor
You can proceed forward without an attorney at anytime. Before a judge will let you proceed foward, they will spend some time questioning and admonishing you that if you go forward without an attorney, that you may have to represent yourself and you will have to follow the rules of procedure like an attorney would. Even though you fire your attorney on the day of trial, the court does not have to grant you a continuance to find an attorney of your own choosing. This means that you could be stuck going foward without representation. Before you you decide to fire your current attorney, a better avenue would be to get them to file a motion for continuance to give you additional time to find an attorney that you feel will better serve your interests.
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