Breakdown of Sie wandte sich an ihren Anwalt.
ihr
her / their
der Anwalt
the lawyer
sich wenden an
to turn to (address)
Questions & Answers about Sie wandte sich an ihren Anwalt.
Why is the past tense form wandte used here instead of wendete?
The verb wenden can have two forms in the simple past. When used in the figurative sense of reaching out to someone (sich wenden an), it almost always takes the irregular-looking mixed form wandte. If you were talking about physically turning a car around, you would typically use the regular form wendete.
Why is it an ihren Anwalt (accusative) instead of an ihrem Anwalt (dative)?
The verb phrase sich wenden an (to turn to / to address) is a fixed combination that always requires the accusative case for the person you are contacting. You can remember this by thinking of it as an active, directed motion of reaching out towards the person, which triggers the accusative.
Could I use the preposition zu here to say she turned "to" her lawyer?
Not without changing the meaning! If you used zu (Sie wandte sich zu ihrem Anwalt), it would mean she literally rotated her physical body to face him. For the figurative meaning of seeking help, consulting, or addressing someone, you must use an.
Is the reflexive pronoun sich in the accusative or dative case here?
It is in the accusative case. The verb sich wenden an requires an accusative reflexive pronoun. If you were forming this sentence with "I", it would be Ich wandte mich an..., which clearly shows the accusative mich rather than the dative mir.
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