Every defendant in the United States has a right to an effective attorney when they are facing criminal charges or appealing their case. The Sixth Amendment's right to effective assistance attaches directly to the fidelity and competence of defense counsel's services.You can make a motion for ineffective assistance of counsel during your trial if you feel that your lawyer is not performing their duties. Ineffective assistance of counsel is a failure to adequately investigate the case. Criminal defendants have a Sixth Amendment right to counsel and that right is guaranteed regardless of the defendant's ability to pay. You can get a new lawyer to file an appeal on the basis of ineffective assistance of counsel. If your case is postconviction (i.e. , you either pled guilty or were found guilty after trial), then you need to file an appeal. "The right to assistance of counsel and the correlative right to dispense with a lawyer's help are not legal formalisms. It also permits a lawyer to be "Of Counsel" to more than two law firms.