Legal Malpractice?

[qwerty]

My attorney showed up two hours late for my holdover trial, so it got defererred to another date. He showed up two hours late for the next one as well. I had to present my case myself, but he eventually showed up and was present for the judgment and the signing of an agreement, even thought the outcome was a disaster for me.
Yesterday a real estate attorney (a neighbor) told me that what happened at my trials was "malpractice". Was it?

Is it customary to require payment of legal fees upfront? Obviously, that's what he'd done.

[mbrenner]

Try "www.abcny.org" The web site is helpful.
Or you could try calling 212-401-0800. That's the State Supreme Court of NY Appellate Division, Departmental Disciplinary Committee.

I don't know what is legal or not. But supposedly we clients have certain rights. There is actually a client's bill of rights -- like a patient's bill of rights in a doctor's office.