Receiving a claim for legal malpractice can be a scary event. Lawyers tend to take their responsibilities very seriously. A lawsuit alleging that an attorney failed to uphold the standards of the legal profession can feel quite personal to a practitioner.

Data suggest that legal malpractice claims increase in frequency in times of economic downturn. Historically, clients who are suffering financial pressures may look to “point fingers” for commercial or other setbacks, whether warranted or not. Thus, some experts believe the uncertainty of the last year may lead to another spike in legal malpractice claims, similar to what occurred in the aftermath of the 2008-2009 financial crisis.