If the circumstances require that the attorney withdraw from representation, the withdrawal is considered mandatory. Situations that could give rise to an attorney's mandatory withdrawal from a case include: 1 the attorney is not competent to continue the representation 2 the attorney becomes a crucial witness on a contested issue in the case 3 the attorney discovers that the client is using his services to advance a criminal enterprise 4 the client is insisting on pursuit of a frivolous position in the case 5 the attorney has a conflict of interest or cannot otherwise continue representation without violating the rules of professional conduct, and 6 the client terminates the attorney's services. (Learn more: How to Fire Your Attorney .)
An Attorney's Voluntary Withdrawal. Where the circumstances permit, but do not require, the attorney to cease representation, the withdrawal is considered voluntary.The circumstances under which an attorney may withdraw mid-case include: there has been a breakdown in the attorney-client relationship that prevents the attorney from effectively ...
If the withdrawing attorney has obtained the written consent of the client to withdraw, the consent must be included with the motion, and the motion may be submitted to the Court ex parte. Without written consent from the client, the attorney seeking to withdraw must serve the motion on the client and all parties of record or their attorneys. ...
Pursuant to DUCivR 83-1.4, an attorney may neither withdraw nor be substituted as an attorney of record without court approval. If the Court does not authorize the withdrawal or substitution of counsel, the attorney seeking to withdraw will remain as counsel of record.
[1] A lawyer should not accept representation in a matter unless it can be performed competently, promptly, without improper conflict of interest and to completion. Ordinarily, a representation in a matter is completed when the agreed-upon assistance has been concluded. See Rules 1.2 (c) and 6.5.
The lawyer may retain papers as security for a fee only to the extent permitted by law. See Rule 1.15.
[4] A client has a right to discharge a lawyer at any time, with or without cause, subject to liability for payment for the lawyer's services. Where future dispute about the withdrawal may be anticipated, it may be advisable to prepare a written statement reciting the circumstances.
Withdrawal is also permitted if the lawyer's services were misused in the past even if that would materially prejudice the client. The lawyer may also withdraw where the client insists on taking action that the lawyer considers repugnant or with which the lawyer has a fundamental disagreement.
Optional Withdrawal. [7] A lawyer may withdraw from representation in some circumstances. The lawyer has the option to withdraw if it can be accomplished without material adverse effect on the client's interests. Withdrawal is also justified if the client persists in a course of action that the lawyer reasonably believes is criminal or fraudulent, ...
Subdivision (b) is amended to delete the restriction that limits the role of the bankruptcy court to the filing of a report and recommendation for disposition of a motion for abstention under 28 U.S.C. §1334 (c) (2). This amendment is consistent with §309 (b) of the Judicial Improvements Act of 1990 which amended §1334 (c) (2) so that it allows an appeal to the district court of a bankruptcy court's order determining an abstention motion. This subdivision is also amended to clarify that the motion is a contested matter governed by Rule 9014 and that it must be served on all parties to the proceeding which is the subject of the motion.
Section 157 (d) permits the district court to order withdrawal on its own motion or the motion of a party. Subdivision (a) of this rule makes it clear that the bankruptcy judge will not conduct hearings on a withdrawal motion. The withdrawal decision is committed exclusively to the district court. Subdivision (b).
However, Model Rule 1.6 speaks to one of the hallmark principles of American legal ethics: the duty of confidentiality. This must be considered when a lawyer moves for withdrawal. The opinion explains that when lawyers file a motion to withdraw, they “must consider how the duty of confidentiality under Rule 1.6 may limit the information ...
Many motions—particularly when substitute counsel has been identified or is otherwise readily available—are granted without the professional-considerations language, says Phoenix-based ethics expert Keith Swisher. “That said, including the professional-considerations language is permissible, as the opinion notes, and it should be attempted first before any confidential information is revealed,” he says.