3 Reasons to Break Up With a Client
It should come as no surprise that withdrawing from a representation is one of the most effective techniques to guard against legal malpractice claims.
August 01, 2017 at 12:29 AM
11 minute read
Knowing when to end an attorney-client relationship is fraught with trepidation, especially when it becomes obvious that the relationship is on a troublesome path. It should therefore come as no surprise that withdrawing from a representation is one of the most effective techniques to guard against legal malpractice claims.
There are many relationships that have a natural conclusion, whether because the matter for which the attorney was retained has ended (as defined in the engagement letter) or where the parties have agreed that services terminate automatically if legal services have not been rendered over a defined period. However, there are different ethical rules and considerations for those representations in which the attorney believes the most prudent option is to formally part ways with a client prior to that natural conclusion.
These situations may arise because a client refuses to follow the attorney's advice, is dishonest or refuses to pay the attorney's bills. While clients can terminate a representation at any time for any reason, the rules are different for attorneys who seek to end a representation prior to its conclusion.
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