how to complain a lawyer?

First of all, sorry for not typing in Chinese. I'm extremely slow, it will take me ages to type one line!

I am in New Jersey, got a traffic ticket for "Failure to turn". Since I have legal plan, I thought why not hire an attorney to go to court with me, so I could get better deal. Well, I ended up paying $539 for a $89 ticket, but got no points. $256 ticket fine, since the attorney changed the plea from "Failure to turn" to "Unsafe driving" in order to deduct points, $250 over charge for points deduction, $33 court fee.

I felt that the attorney didn't do her job. I could have got the same or better result without her. This is my second offense. Last time I got my points deducted by paying $250 over charge, and ticket fee, I didn't have to change plea. I didn't have lawyer that time. I told my attorney about it. Her response was that there was no way I could walk away with no points if I didn't change my plea, or maybe that was my first offense ever. But for this case, that's best she could bargain for me. She told me that I could keep the original charge if I wanted to, but I would have to pay insurances increases, which would be $150 per point per year for 3 years.

After I came home and thought things over, I didn't like it at all. I would like to complain about her. Before I do that, I have some questions:
1. Is it true that I have to change plea in order to get points deducted if it's not the first ever offense?
2. Do you think if I went by myself, I could get better or at lease the same result? Since there were some special circumstances I could explain to the prosecutor to try to win some sympathy. I told the attorney those circumstances, but I don’t think she used it.
3. Should I complain or not? Maybe I should just put it behind and move forward. I know that this is pretty much a done deal now, but I want someone to know that she did not do her job, maybe just to vent my frustration. (I know.)

Also, how to make a complain properly? I tried to lookup some sites, all I found were for much more serious cases such as malpractices. BBB is not an option either, it's only for commerce.

Thanks much for advices.

所有跟帖： 

• 说句不好听的话，这个案子输了对你绝对只有好处没有坏处。 -点点儿- ♀ (91 bytes) () 05/01/2009 postreply 08:16:48

• go to your state bar website to file your compalint. -ne0987- ♀ (170 bytes) () 05/01/2009 postreply 08:40:53

• To a lawyer, $539 is nothing. -jin_yin_hua- ♀ (0 bytes) () 05/01/2009 postreply 09:27:26

• Why did you hire a lawyer for a $89 ticket in the first place -xxhhwxc- ♂ (109 bytes) () 05/01/2009 postreply 09:51:13

• She gets a lawyer for free from her plan. -jin_yin_hua- ♀ (0 bytes) () 05/01/2009 postreply 09:56:12

• did u two even hv a contract? otherwise u get nothing, -gracelaqiu- ♀ (104 bytes) () 05/01/2009 postreply 10:21:18

• Transfer to joke board -needwait..- ♂ (20 bytes) () 05/01/2009 postreply 13:23:16

• Grow up and have some common sense. -昭君出塞因地制宜- ♂ (0 bytes) () 05/01/2009 postreply 16:29:24