Three attorneys from one of the law firms representing Diddy in a civil suit are asking to drop the imprisoned music mogul and withdraw from the case over unpaid legal fees … but Diddy says the lawyers were simply overcharging him … TMZ has learned.

The attorneys, Michael Tremonte, Erica Wolff and Katie Renzler from Sher Tremonte LLP, filed a motion to withdraw as counsel for Diddy in the music mogul’s case against Nexstar Media, Ariel Mitchell, and Courtney Burgess, which is pending in federal court in New York.

In the motion, the lawyers lay out their reasons for wanting off the Diddy train, saying he has failed to pay a “substantial balance of attorney’s fees” and other costs and expenses.

They also claim Diddy has been “unreasonably difficult” and hasn’t been cooperative, resulting in a breakdown of communication between the attorneys and their client.

The motion also states that Diddy “deliberately disregards an agreement or obligation to the lawyer as to expenses or fees” and claims he’s in “substantial arrears,” with his last payment coming in more than 6 months ago.

We reached out to Diddy’s team, and they see things very differently.

Through his spokesperson, Juda Engelmayer, Diddy tells TMZ … “I made the decision to switch lawyers because I won’t let anyone take advantage of me by overcharging me and running up bills that were never approved. This is strictly a business matter, and any talk about unpaid fees is just part of our dispute over those unapproved charges.”

As you know, Diddy was sentenced to just over 4 years in prison after a jury convicted him at his federal trial of two counts of transporting individuals across state lines for prostitution. Diddy paid his legal team in his criminal trial $8 million.