First, know what to expect
OTR expects all partner attorneys to prioritize client communication and to respond to questions and concerns as soon as possible. Our official service-level agreement with partner firms is a response within 1–2 business days, but the vast majority of attorneys reply within hours.
That said, keep in mind that attorneys spend most of their working hours in court, where phones and devices are typically not allowed. This is why many attorneys tend to reply early in the morning or later in the afternoon, after court hours.
Also remember that weekends and holidays are not business days. Courts are closed, and while some firms do respond to messages over the weekend, it is not guaranteed. If you sent a message on Friday evening, give your attorney until end of day Tuesday before assuming something is wrong.
Before you escalate, check these 5 things
We regularly hear from clients who are concerned about an unresponsive attorney. In most cases, the issue is one of the following. Please check each one before reaching out to OTR support.
1. Did you send a message in the case chat?
The case chat is the official form of communication for all Off The Record cases. Even if you have emailed or called your attorney's office directly, please make sure you have also sent a message in the case chat.
If you contact OTR support about an unresponsive attorney and there are no messages from you in the case chat, our first step will be to ask you to send one.
2. Is your message a clear question or concern?
Attorneys are trained to respond to questions and concerns. If your message reads as a statement, your attorney may not realize you are expecting a reply.
Here is the difference:
"My court date is next week."
This is a statement. It does not signal that you need a response.
"My court date is next week — is there anything I need to do to prepare?"
This is a clear question. Your attorney will understand that you expect a reply.
"My court date is next week! Should I be worried?"
This is clearly a concern that requires a response.
If your original message was a statement, try resending it as a question.
3. Have you checked for a reply?
It sounds obvious, but please double-check your case chat for any new messages before assuming your attorney has not replied. When your attorney or their staff sends you a message, OTR sends you:
- An email notification
- An SMS notification (if enabled)
- An app push notification (if enabled)
If you are not receiving notifications, check your notification settings in the app.
4. Have you answered your attorney's questions?
Communication goes both ways. If your attorney has asked you to upload your driver's license, a legible photo of your ticket, or any other document, they may not be able to answer your questions until they have what they need.
Your legal defense depends on your active participation. Check your case chat for any outstanding requests from your attorney and respond to them as soon as possible.
5. Is there actually something to respond to?
Cases can take a long time to resolve — sometimes months, sometimes longer. If there are no updates to report and no pending court dates, your attorney may not have anything new to share. That is normal. Attorneys will not send messages just for the sake of sending messages.
If you have a specific question or concern, send it in the case chat. But if your case is simply in a waiting period, silence from your attorney usually means things are on track.
If you still have not heard back
If you have sent a clear question or concern in the case chat and 2 business days have passed without a response, it is time to contact OTR's support team.
When you reach out, let us know:
- Your case ID or the name on the case
- Your specific question or concern
Our support team will intervene, contact the attorney or firm directly, and get your case back on track. In most cases, the attorney is simply busy in court or working through a heavy caseload and has not had time to respond — especially if your court date is still far out.
You are never on your own
This is one of the key differences between booking with OTR and hiring a lawyer on your own. If you hire an attorney independently and they stop responding, you have to figure it out yourself — call the court, find a new lawyer, start over.
With OTR, our support team monitors all cases and can step in when something is not right. If an attorney is genuinely unresponsive and the issue cannot be resolved, OTR can reassign your case to a different attorney to make sure your case continues to move forward.
You always have a team behind you.
