Chicago Legal Malpractice Lawyer Blog
One area that can lead to claims against lawyers occurs when the lawyer accepts one part of a representation but declines to represent the client in another matter. Any declination should be communicated clearly to the client and confirmed in writing. If you don’t do that, the client may later bring a malpractice claim against you.
In Boukari v. Schwartzberg, LLC, 2024 NY Slip Op 01247 (March 7, 2024), the plaintiff hired the defendant firm to complete a Workers’ Compensation matter. The lawyers declined to represent the plaintiff in any personal injury action. Plaintiff sued alleging that the firm missed the statute of limitations on the personal injury claim. The Appellate Division held that summary judgment for the law firm should have been granted. The explanation: ”
“Plaintiff’s legal malpractice action should have been dismissed. Contrary to the motion court’s finding, the record conclusively established, as a matter of law, that defendants had clearly informed plaintiff during their initial meetings in May 2014, by way of unambiguous writings confirmed by plaintiff’s signature, that defendants were only assisting her in substituting counsel in a Workers’ Compensation matter and that they had declined to represent her in any personal injury action against the building owner or any third party arising from her slip and fall. Plaintiff opposed the motion only with an attorney affirmation. She did not submit an affidavit setting forth her version of the initial conversations with defendants or any other interactions that would support her attorney’s contentions that she was under a reasonable impression that defendants had agreed to represent her on a personal injury claim or that the law firm did not clearly disclaim representation (see Zuckerman v New York, 49 NY2d 557 [1980] [an attorney affirmation is insufficient to put before the court facts of which she has no knowledge]”
Comment: this problem can come up in any number of matters. Please disclaim in writing any claim you refuse to handle.
My CLE Presentation on Avoiding Malpractice Claims in Litigation