Lawyer got our settlement months ago and never told us — is this normal??

Not legal advice, but what you're describing raises some real red flags. In most states, an attorney has an ethical obligation to promptly notify a client when they receive settlement funds on their behalf — that's not optional, it's a professional responsibility rule. The funds also have to sit in a client trust account until disbursement is finalized. I'd strongly suggest requesting a full accounting in writing and, if you don't get a satisfactory response, looking up your state bar's client complaint process. You can also consult a second attorney — many will do a free case review.

Oh wow, this hit close to home. After my accident I went almost four months without a real update and then found out through the portal too — not even a phone call. I ended up sending a formal written request for a status update and CC'd the attorney directly instead of just the assistant. That seemed to light a fire under them. Not saying it'll work for everyone but it changed the dynamic for me pretty fast.

This is unfortunately more common than people realize and it's worth asking yourself: whose interests are being served by the delay? Sometimes attorneys and insurers have back-channel relationships that slow things down for clients. I'm not saying that's what's happening here, but the fact that you had to hunt down lien info and billing statements is not okay. That's literally what they're getting a third of your settlement for.

From my time on the insurance side, once we cut a check to a plaintiff's attorney, our file basically closed. We had zero obligation to contact the claimant directly after that — it all goes through counsel. So the attorney getting paid and going quiet is a pattern I saw play out a lot. The attorney has every incentive to wrap up the disbursement but sometimes cases just sit in a pile once the hard negotiating is done. Push hard for a written disbursement timeline.

Send a certified letter to the attorney today demanding a full written accounting — date funds were received, current trust account balance, itemized list of outstanding liens, and a projected disbursement timeline. Keep a copy. If you don't get a real response within two weeks, file a complaint with your state bar. You're not being unreasonable. This is your money and your wife's recovery.

I'm so sorry you're going through this on top of everything your wife has already been through. The medical stuff alone sounds completely exhausting, and then to have to chase your own attorney for basic information? You deserve so much better. Please don't let them keep brushing you off — you have every right to know exactly what's happening with your case.

Quick question — when you say you found the letter in the portal, was it a settlement check confirmation or could it have been a demand letter or something else? I only ask because portal documents can sometimes be mislabeled or hard to interpret without context. Either way, calling the attorney directly and asking point-blank 'have you received settlement funds in our case?' is the fastest way to get clarity.