Attorney-client contracts are not like other contracts for goods or services. Although most business and individuals enjoy a general freedom to enter into private contracts as long as those contracts do not violate any other laws, attorneys and clients do not enjoy the same autonomy.

Indeed, because the attorney-client relationship involves distinct duties and obligations on the part of attorneys, there are limitations to what attorneys can include in their agreements with their clients. Provisions of an engagement letter that violate an attorney’s ethical obligations could be unenforceable but could also constitute violations of bar rules leading to attorney discipline.

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