can you sue an attorney who filea.contempt just to harrass

by Mr. Pedro Pollich 8 min read

Yes, it's harassment (persistent annoyance) of a deadbeat and it seems to be entirely legal and justified based on your fact recitation. Your factual statement suggest this is a collection effort against you for not meeting your legal obligation to pay as ordered by a court.

Full Answer

Do you need an attorney to sue for harassment?

Jan 14, 2012 · Yes, it's harassment (persistent annoyance) of a deadbeat and it seems to be entirely legal and justified based on your fact recitation. Your factual statement suggest this is a collection effort against you for not meeting your legal obligation to pay as ordered by a court.

Do I need an attorney to file a motion for contempt?

Jun 16, 2017 · Harassment at work, threats by a romantic partner and stalking by an acquaintance may all rise to the level of legal action, provided you meet the legal requirements to file suit. Because federal and state laws vary and civil and employment-related lawsuits for harassment can be complex, it is in your best interest to contact an attorney first.

How do I file a lawsuit against my attorney?

May 02, 2022 · To sue lawyer for negligence, you need to be able to prove the attorney didn't use the proper care in your case and missed a deadline, filed the wrong papers, didn't comply with court orders, or made other errors that were not intentional but were sloppy. Negligence happens when the attorney makes mistakes that other attorneys normally would ...

How do I sue the EEOC for harassment?

Contempt of court is any willful disobedience, or disregard, of a court order. Contempt of court includes misconduct in the presence of a court, including any action that interferes with a judge’s ability to administer justice. Contempt also includes any behavior that insults the court. Contempt is punishable by fine or imprisonment or both.

How do you stop frivolous motions against you?

If you're wondering about how to stop most frivolous lawsuits, you must contact an experienced attorney who can advise you on the best course of action to take. Very often, a wise option is to settle out of court by apologizing or offering a small compensation to resolve the issue even if you were not at fault.

What makes a lawsuit frivolous?

A frivolous claim, often called a bad faith claim, refers to a lawsuit, motion or appeal that is intended to harass, delay or embarrass the opposition. A claim is frivolous when the claim lacks any arguable basis either in law or in fact Neitze v. Williams, 490 U.S. 319, 325 (1989).

What is the difference between civil and criminal contempt?

When the contempt charge aims to coerce or force a person to comply with a court order, then it is civil contempt. On the other hand, holding someone in criminal contempt aims to punish the contemnor for disrespecting the authority or dignity of the court.

What does it mean to be held in contempt?

Contempt of court is used when an individual intentionally disobeys a court order. In family law, if someone is held in contempt, he/she has violated a child support, spousal support, domestic violence protective order, child custody, and/or visitation order, which must then be enforced.Nov 12, 2020

What happens to a frivolous or vexatious complaint?

Where a complaint instituted before the District Forum, the State Commission or, as the case may be, the National Commission is found to be frivolous or vexatious, it shall, for reasons to be recorded in writing, dismiss the complaint and make an order that the complainant shall pay to the opposite party such cost, not ...

Can you sue for malicious prosecution?

Who can claim for malicious prosecution? Anyone who has been acquitted of the crime in question, or has had the relevant case against them dropped, may make a malicious prosecution claim – as long as they are able to prove that the prosecuting authority acted with malice in bringing said case against them.

Do you get a criminal record for contempt of court?

Therefore, where a criminal contempt has been committed, a criminal offence has been committed and, as such, it would appear on the 'criminal record', as defined in section 113A of the Police Act 1997 (PA 1997).

What are the two types of contempt?

There are two types of contempt of court: criminal contempt of court and civil contempt. Civil contempt often involves the failure of someone to comply with a court order. Judges use civil contempt sanctions to coerce such a person into complying with a court order the person has violated.Mar 4, 2019

What constitutes criminal contempt of court?

Criminal contempt, defined in Section 2(c), is committed when anything is published, or done, which "scandalises, or tends to scandalise, or lowers or tends to lower the authority of, any court", or "prejudices, or interferes or tends to interfere with, the due course of any judicial proceeding," or "interferes or ...

What amounts to contempt of court?

Disobedience of any judgement, decree, direction, order, writ or other process of a court or an undertaking given to the court. There should be disobedience of a valid order to constitute contempt of court. An order includes all kinds of judgements, orders-final, preliminary, ex-parte, contempt order.

Can a judge be held liable for contempt of court?

Judges, magistrates, law officers or any person who is authorised to act judicially can also be held liable for contempt of court in the same manner as any other individual.Jul 2, 2018

What happens after contempt of court?

According to the Act, contempt of court may be punished with simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months, or with fine which may extend to two thousand rupees, or with both, provided that the accused may be discharged or the punishment awarded may be remitted on apology being made to the satisfaction ...Nov 12, 2020

Can you sue someone for emotional distress?

To sue based on emotional distress, you must be able to prove that the harassment was the actual cause of your emotional distress. For instance, if you were already in severe emotional distress after being mugged and then suffered harassment but cannot determine whether the harassment or mugging caused your symptoms, it may be difficult to sue.

Can you sue someone for mental health issues?

Although the harm caused should be so severe that it would even strongly affect a person who is in a healthy mental state, you may still be able to sue if you have existing mental health diagnoses, such as depression or panic attacks.

What is considered harassment?

What Is Considered Harassing? When you fear for your own safety or well-being or that of another person close to you , such as your child, you might be able to file a lawsuit for harassment and emotional distress. If you are the target of workplace harassment that causes emotional distress, you might have grounds for a lawsuit against ...

How many prongs are there in a civil case for harassment?

In civil cases for harassment that occurs outside the workplace, you must meet a four-prong legal test to sue for harassment and emotional distress. Harassment at work, threats by a romantic partner and stalking by an acquaintance may all rise to the level of legal action, provided you meet the legal requirements to file suit.

How to show emotional distress over harassment?

To meet the threshold for emotional distress over harassment, you typically must show that the individual’s conduct was outrageous or extreme. There is no single definition of this extreme behavior. For the purposes of a lawsuit, however, extreme or outrageous behavior goes beyond impolite or annoying behavior, such as cursing at someone or insulting her job performance. Instead, outrageous conduct must goes well beyond standard social norms. For example, repeatedly calling a friend’s spouse to humiliate him, or making public, degrading comments to a coworker to try to upset her enough to make her quit her job, would likely rise to the level of outrageous and extreme conduct.

How to prove emotional distress in court?

To prove emotional distress in court, you must be able to prove that the person harassing you behaved recklessly or intentionally harassed you. For instance, if the perpetrator wrote you letters threatening to kill you, this shows a degree of planning and intentional behavior.

Can you sue a lawyer for negligence?

To sue lawyer for negligence, you need to be able to prove the attorney didn't use the proper care in your case and missed a deadline, filed the wrong papers, didn't comply with court orders, or made other errors that were not intentional but were sloppy.

What happens if an attorney violates the law?

If the attorney violated proper ethics, you can file a grievance with the ethics committee of the state bar association, which ensures all attorneys are in good standing to renew their licenses. The attorney could be disbarred or directed to pay you compensation.

How to win a malpractice case?

To win when you sue an attorney for malpractice, you need to show that: 1 The attorney was supposed to do something 2 He or she didn't do it (or did it wrong) 3 This resulted in a financial loss to you (losing the case or losing money)

What to do when you hire an attorney?

When you hire an attorney, you do so with trust and confidence. Most attorneys are upstanding and do a good job for their clients. Unfortunately, there are also some bad eggs out there. If your attorney has done something wrong, you may want to consider suing a lawyer for malpractice.

What do you need to show when suing an attorney for malpractice?

When suing an attorney for legal malpractice, you will need to show that the attorney did not use the ordinary amount of skill and care that most attorneys use in similar situations.

Does losing a case mean you committed malpractice?

It's important to understand that just because you lost your case, it does not mean your attorney committed malpractice. In every case, one side will win and one will lose, despite the skill and experience of the lawyers on each side.

How to win a lawsuit against an attorney for malpractice?

To win when you sue an attorney for malpractice, you need to show that: The attorney was supposed to do something. He or she didn't do it (or did it wrong) This resulted in a financial loss to you (losing the case or losing money)

What happens if a plaintiff wins a civil contempt suit?

If the plaintiff wins a civil contempt suit, he or she may be entitled to attorneys fees. Examples of violating a court order include failure to pay child support or failure to follow a restraining order.

What is contempt of court?

Contempt of court includes misconduct in the presence of a court, including any action that interferes with a judge’s ability to administer justice. Contempt also includes any behavior that insults the court. Contempt is punishable by fine or imprisonment or both.

What are the two types of contempt?

What Are the Different Types of Contempt? There are two basic types of contempt of court. The first type is criminal contempt, which may be further divided into direct and indirect contempt. Direct contempt is when a person acts disruptively in a court room and the judge uses his authority to summarily declare that person to be in contempt of court.

Is there a criminal trial for indirect contempt?

No criminal trial is needed for such a charge. Indirect criminal contempt is a charge brought by a prosecutor against a defendant who has willfully violated a court order. To convict a defendant of indirect criminal contempt, all criminal procedural protections are attached, including proving the contempt beyond a reasonable doubt.

What is indirect contempt?

Indirect criminal contempt is a charge brought by a prosecutor against a defendant who has willfully violated a court order. To convict a defendant of indirect criminal contempt, all criminal procedural protections are attached, including proving the contempt beyond a reasonable doubt.

John Beardsley Ertle Jr

You will not find much support for suing the other sides attorney. His defense is very simple. His client told him "A" happened and you say "B" happened. That is not his fault.

Joseph G Scone

Most likely you will fail and risk a counter claim .....Win and leave well enough alone.

Fred T Isquith

As a practical matter...no. Sounds like the Attorney was performing the functions that the rules of professionalism in every state require. An attorney takes his/her client as found.

Do you need an attorney to file a motion for contempt of court?

Consider consulting an attorney. Although you don't need an attorney to file a motion for contempt, an experienced family law attorney may be able to best protect your rights and the rights of your children.

Can a judge hold you in contempt of court?

Although the phrase "file charges" generally relates to criminal cases, judges can hold people in contempt for not following a previous court order. In the family law context, if one parent isn't paying child support or providing other support as required by a court order, you can file a complaint or motion asking the judge to hold him ...

What happens if a parent is found to be in contempt of court?

If a parent is found to be in contempt, he or she may be ordered to pay the child support or go to jail. Steps.

Can you use a blank motion for contempt?

Many courts have fill-in-the-blank forms that you can use for your complaint or motion in this context. If you can't find a specific motion for a motion for contempt, you may be able to find a blank motion form that you can use to make sure your motion is formatted correctly.

What to do if you can't find a motion for contempt?

If you can't find a specific motion for a motion for contempt, you may be able to find a blank motion form that you can use to make sure your motion is formatted correctly. Some courts also may have instructions that walk you through the process of filing your motion step by step. Consider consulting an attorney.

Where to find caption on contempt motion?

If you don't know this number, you can find it at the top of the original order that is the subject of your motion for contempt.

Do you have to attend mediation before a contempt hearing?

Fulfill any pre-hearing requirements. Some courts may require you to attend mediation prior to a contempt hearing. Additionally, the court that issued your original order may have a family services office that will provide mediation services that can resolve the issue without you having to file a motion in court.

Can an attorney file a motion for contempt?

An attorney can also file a motion for contempt, or a motion for sanctions. If a person has been warned by the judge to stop filing frivolous pleadings, then disobeying this command could lead to serious legal consequences.

Can a judge remove a motion for contempt?

If the judge agrees that the motion has no merit, then the judge can remove it. An attorney can also file a motion for contempt, or a motion for sanctions. If a person has been warned by the judge to stop filing frivolous pleadings, then disobeying this command could lead to serious legal consequences. For instance, a person who has ...

What is it called when a spouse files a motion after a motion?

When a person files frivolous motions or requests hearings with no legal basis, they are often termed a “vexatious litigant .”.

What is it called when a person files a motion with no legal basis?

When a person files frivolous motions or requests hearings with no legal basis, they are often termed a “vexatious litigant.”. In some states, like California, vexatious litigants are placed onto a public list so that judges and attorneys know who has been filing cases for no reason.

Why are vexatious litigants placed on public lists?

In some states, like California, vexatious litigants are placed onto a public list so that judges and attorneys know who has been filing cases for no reason. In other states, like Washington, a judge may declare a person to be a vexatious litigant after that person files multiple frivolous cases or motions inside of a particular court. ...

Can a judge declare a person vexatious?

In other states, like Washington, a judge may declare a person to be a vexatious litigant after that person files multiple frivolous cases or motions inside of a particular court. While most people in a divorce case do not take the step of filing multiple unrelated cases in order to vex their former spouse, some spouses—especially those acting pro ...

Can an attorney file a motion against an ex spouse?

If, however, a spouse’s attorney agrees that the other person is filing motions inappropriately, there are several steps which can be taken. The attorney can file a motion of his or her own, asking the judge to strike, or get rid of, whatever pleading the ex-spouse filed.

Can an attorney write a demand letter?

It is permissible for an attorney to write a demand letter and say that he will file suit if you don't pay the demand, but after that, he ought to just sue or shut up. You don't have to meet him personally, and you probably should not. If you have proof proof, not suspicion that he is romantically involved with his client, you could report him to the California State Bar Association, as that is an ethical violation. Don't threaten to report him, as that would be wrong, but you have the right to report him for such wrongdoing. You can also hire an attorney to represent you in this matter, and that will put a stop from the attorney's contacting you at all. Good luck.

Can you report a man who is romantically involved with his client?

If you have proof proof, not suspicion that he is romantically involved with his client, you could report him to the California State Bar Association, as that is an ethical violation. Don't threaten to report him, as that would be wrong, but you have the right to report him for such wrongdoing.

Is an in person meeting a good way to resolve a dispute?

Sometimes an in-person meeting is a good way of resolving disputes without resorting to a lawsuit. That being said, in the situation you describe, the aggrieved party should at least consult with an attorney to go over the specifics, the background, the evidence and then options and recommendations. It will be worth the cost of the consultation fee.

Is it a good idea to have an in person meeting with an attorney?

That being said, in the situation you describe, the aggrieved party should at least consult with an attorney to go over the specifics, the background, the evidence and then options and recommendations.

Is it unethical to threaten a lawsuit?

It is not unethical to threaten a lawsuit if you refuse to negotiate a settlement. You, or whoever is receiving the message should offer to consider any demands, but let the lawyer know you are uncomfortable meeting, if you are. If the lawyer becomes uncivil, or threatens action he knows he cannot take, such as threatening criminal charges, that would be unethical.

Can an attorney use threats against someone?

An attorney cannot use threats against someone to gain an advantage in a civil matter. However, the attorney can warn that person that he is about to file a lawsuit to resolve a matter.