how do you make a complaint against an attorney

To file a complaint against an attorney, contact the Office of Attorney Regulation Counsel by calling (303) 457-5800, or toll free (877) 888-1370 or by using the following online complaint form.

Full Answer

Do I need a lawyer to file a complaint against?

Apr 03, 2017 · There are a few important things to keep in mind when thinking of filing a complaint: Serious neglect of your case. Failure to provide an accounting of your money or property held by the attorney. Commingling your funds with the attorney's own money. Refusing to return your file at the conclusion of ...

How to write a complaint letter about an attorney?

Jun 20, 2016 · First, an attorney or panel of attorneys will review the complaint and decide whether the complaint is worth investigating. Many people file complaints against their lawyers for the wrong reasons, and the disciplinary board does not want to waste time and money on meritless complaints.

How do you file a lawsuit without an attorney?

With the exception of anonymous complaints, the State Bar notifies the complainant of receipt of the complaint. An experienced State Bar attorney will review the complaint to determine if the facts are sufficient to show that an ethical violation occurred. Additional documents from the complainant may be needed to complete this evaluation.

Can an attorney retaliate against me for filing?

Sep 09, 2021 · If you think your lawyer has violated an ethical rule, you may file a complaint with the disciplinary board in the state where the lawyer is licensed. In most states, you can file your complaint by mailing in a state-issued complaint form or a letter with the lawyer's name and contact information, your contact information, a description of the problem, and copies of …

What is the most common complaint against lawyers?

Perhaps the most common kinds of complaints against lawyers involve delay or neglect. This doesn't mean that occasionally you've had to wait for a phone call to be returned. It means there has been a pattern of the lawyer's failing to respond or to take action over a period of months.

What is unethical for a lawyer?

Attorney misconduct may include: conflict of interest, overbilling, refusing to represent a client for political or professional motives, false or misleading statements, knowingly accepting worthless lawsuits, hiding evidence, abandoning a client, failing to disclose all relevant facts, arguing a position while ...

What is professional misconduct for a lawyer?

The expression professional misconduct in the simple sense means improper conduct. In law profession misconduct means an act done willfully with a wrong intention by the people engaged in the profession. It means any activity or behaviour of an advocate in violation of professional ethics for his selfish ends.

What is an ethical violation?

In a nutshell, an ethical violation is something that is - spoken, written, actioned - that violates a company's documented code of ethics, mission, vision, values, and culture. ... Improper or fraudulent billing are ethics violations that can involve charging customers for services they did not receive.Aug 14, 2015

Disciplinable Offenses

Lawyers are given a lot of responsibility and often deal with serious matters, from criminal charges to child custody to tax and other financial matters. When you hire a lawyer, you are trusting him or her to represent your interests in the best manner possible.

State Disciplinary Boards

Each state has a disciplinary board that enforces state ethics rules for lawyers. The board is usually an arm of the state’s supreme court and has authority to interpret ethics rules, investigate potential violations, conduct evidentiary hearings, and administer attorney discipline. Depending on the offense, the agency might:

Filing a Complaint

If you think your lawyer has violated an ethical rule, you may file a complaint with the disciplinary board in the state where the lawyer is licensed.

Investigation Process

In most cases, a board of lawyers and non-lawyers will review the complaint. If there’s a potential ethical violation, the board will give the lawyer a copy of the complaint and an opportunity to respond.

Malpractice Lawsuits

The purpose of the state disciplinary board is to discipline lawyers, not necessarily to compensate wronged clients for their losses. If you’re looking for compensation, a malpractice lawsuit is generally the way to go. However, legal malpractice lawsuits can be very difficult to win.

Disciplinary Counsel by State

You can find information for your state's disciplinary board below, including its name, address, and a link to its website, where you can find out more about filing a complaint.

What should I do when choosing an attorney?

It’s always awkward to ask, “So, when’s the last time you were suspended from practice?”

Look up the attorney on the state bar association website

Each state has its own bar association that grants licenses to attorneys. These associations monitor and discipline lawyers, suspending or disbarring those who violate the code of ethics for that specific state.

Google online reviews and complaints

When picking an attorney for any matter, at the very least you should search for reviews online and see what others have said.

The 10 Most Important Things to Know about Lawyer Regulation by The Florida Bar

When lawyers take the oath of admission, they obligate themselves to uphold the law and to abide by The Rules Regulating The Florida Bar as established by the Florida Supreme Court. The Florida Bar regulates more than 109,000 lawyers and opens approximately 7,500 files a year to investigate possible misconduct.

How to File a Complaint Against a Lawyer

For individuals who are unsure if a lawyer has acted ethically or who are dissatisfied and wish to consider whether filing a complaint may be appropriate, The Florida Bar operates the Attorney Consumer Assistance Program (ACAP). ACAP staff, including attorneys, handle complaints and may be able to resolve problems before a complaint is filed.

Complaint Alternatives

The discipline system also assists consumers in dealing with common attorney-client issues that do not necessarily rise to the level of grounds for filing a complaint.

Disciplinary Action, Discipline Statistics, and Public Records

Monthly disciplinary actions: The Florida Bar publishes a summary of disciplinary actions monthly. News releases are sent to statewide media, published in The Florida Bar News and posted for public viewing our website.

Ethics Hotline

The Florida Bar operates an ethics hotline for its members to offer guidance when a lawyer is unsure of the ethical obligations in a particular situation. Call 1-800-235-8619.

Lawyer Regulation

The Regulation of Lawyer Conduct webpage includes: The Rules Regulating The Florida Bar with the Bylaws of The Florida Bar organization, the Rules of Discipline, the Rules of Professional Conduct, and other chapters on specific regulatory topics; standards for lawyer sanctions followed by Bar counsel, referees and the Supreme Court of Florida in recommending or imposing discipline; disciplinary statistics, ACAP and branch office listings; notices and a handbook on lawyer advertising and solicitation; and information on the unlicensed practice of law..

Video of a Public Reprimand

The public reprimand is a Supreme Court-ordered form of public discipline that declares the conduct of the lawyer improper. Public reprimands are delivered before the 52-member Florida Bar Board of Governors and are public record. A downloadable video of an actual public reprimand (2 min. 7 sec., 14.7MB) has been posted for information.