The legal malpractice negligence statute of limitations is two years. The legal malpractice breach of contract statute of limitations is four years, as in Coleman v. Duane Morris, 58 A.3d 833 (Pa. Super. 2012).

The legal malpractice statute of limitations is widely considered commencing upon the “occurrence” of liability. Unlike other professional liability and tort actions, the statute of limitations commences when only the element of liability is established—not causation nor damages. Said differently, a lawyer may have neglected a client’s matter only for the client to eventualize damages years later notwithstanding the statute of limitations to have elapsed during that time period.

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