Family law cases move on deadlines, hearings, and other people's timelines, so a period of silence from an attorney can feel disproportionately alarming. There is a real, named standard that governs how much communication a client is owed, and knowing it helps separate an ordinary busy week from an actual problem.
The rule that applies
Every state has adopted some version of the American Bar Association's Model Rule 1.4, which requires a lawyer to keep a client reasonably informed about the status of a matter, to respond to reasonable requests for information, and to explain a matter well enough for the client to make informed decisions. The rule does not require instant responses, and it does not require an attorney to report on every minor development. It does require that a client not be left without any answer to a direct question about the state of their own case.
What "not communicating" usually looks like in practice
Complaints about attorney communication tend to fall into a few patterns: no response to repeated calls or emails over an extended period, a deadline or hearing date the client learns about after the fact, or a client who cannot get a straight answer about where the case stands or what a document means. A single unreturned call during a busy week is different from a pattern that continues after direct follow-up.
The options that typically exist, in rough order
Most family law attorneys and firms have identified a way to escalate an unresponsive attorney internally, such as a paralegal, an office manager, or a supervising partner, where one exists. A written message (email or a client portal message, rather than only a voicemail) creates a record of exactly when and what was asked. Where a firm has an engagement letter or scope agreement, it may describe expected communication practices. If direct escalation does not resolve a pattern of unresponsiveness, every state bar maintains a complaint or grievance process specifically for concerns about attorney conduct, including communication failures under Rule 1.4; that process is free to use and does not require hiring another lawyer to file it. Separately, and regardless of any complaint, a client is generally free to end the relationship and retain different counsel, subject to any fee agreement terms and the court's rules for withdrawal and substitution of counsel in a pending case.
What this is not
Disagreeing with an attorney's strategy is a different situation from an attorney failing to communicate at all, and it is handled differently. See the related article on which decisions in a case belong to the client. A licensed attorney (either the current one or a new one consulted about the situation) is the right resource for deciding which of these paths fits a particular case.