(The information on this site applies to Florida only)

There are four things you should expect from your lawyer: honesty, advocacy, diligence, and communication. Your lawyer is your advocate, and you should expect him at all times to act in your best interest within the bounds of professionalism and the law.  At the same time you should expect your lawyer to be honest. Your lawyer will not let you, or coach you, to lie or conceal evidence. 

And your lawyer will at all times be honest with you.  While he is an advocate for your position, it is also his job to be honest with you about the strengths and weaknesses of your case. He would not be doing his job for you if he was always a cheerleader and never kept you apprised of the negative news which comes from time to time in any case.

You should expect your lawyer to be diligent in pursuing your case.  It will not be the only case he has, and sometimes there are things that he must wait for, like a hearing with the judge, or a trial date set by the judge, or a discovery schedule which is not solely in his control. But when he reasonably can, he should be pushing your case along to its conclusion expeditiously.  Finally, you should expect your lawyer to communicate with you. He should regularly keep you aware of the progress of the case and he should be available to answer your questions and seek your instructions from time to time. If he is trying another lawsuit or away on a deposition trip, he may not be able to return your telephone call immediately. He should have someone else from the office return your call if he cannot, and he should always return your call eventually. If he does not, you should let him know that you expect that of him.