What happens after a complaint is filed? Your complaint will then undergo a careful review process in which attorneys will evaluate whether sufficient basis exists for action by the Attorney General. Should we find that the matter is better suited to another bureau or agency, we will forward it to the appropriate office.
Full Answer
What happens after a complaint is filed? Your complaint will then undergo a careful review process in which attorneys will evaluate whether sufficient basis exists for action by the Attorney General. Should we find that the matter is better suited to another bureau or agency, we will forward it to the appropriate office.
Attorney / Client Disputes. If you have a complaint against an attorney, you may contact the Attorney Disciplinary / Grievance Committee. The office you need to contact depends upon the location of your lawyer's office. Please note that the New York State Unified Court System does not have jurisdiction to investigate complaints concerning representation by attorneys.
Law enforcement actions are taken by the Attorney General to protect the public good and to ensure a fair market place. However, for individual consumer complaints, the Bureau of Consumer Frauds and Protection offers an informal dispute resolution program for complaints against a merchant or business. Although the Attorney General’s Office will do its best to assist you, we …
After your complaint has been received by the Investor Protection Bureau, it will be reviewed and assigned to an Attorney or an appropriate representative to investigate your complaint. If it is determined that your complaint should be handled by a different Bureau or agency, the securities bureau will forward your complaint to the appropriate office and you will be informed of the …
Office and current official | Salary |
---|---|
Attorney General of New York Letitia James | |
New York Secretary of State Robert Rodriguez | |
New York Public Service Commission James Alesi | $127,000 |
New York Commissioner of Agriculture Richard A. Ball | $120,800 |
Answer: Senior citizens who feel they are victims of age discrimination may file a complaint with the Division of Human Rights by calling (518) 474-2705. Seniors may also file a complaint with the Attorney General's Civil Rights Bureau in New York City by calling (212) 416-8240. Back to top.
Upon receipt of the notice, the debt collector is prohibited from communicating with the consumer, except to advise the consumer that the agency's collection activities are being terminated, or to notify the consumer that the agency or the creditor may invoke specified remedies. Back to top.
Answer: For more than two years, the Attorney General's office has investigated child pornography on the Internet. This is just one of the initiatives of the Internet Bureau which also monitors the Internet for evidence of consumer scams and other crimes.
Answer: You are not required to purchase insurance coverage from a rental agency as a condition of renting an automobile in New York. The agency may, however, charge you up to a maximum of $100 for accidental damage to, or loss of use of, the vehicle.
In general, authorized driver is a licensed driver to whom the vehicle is rented, that person's adult spouse if also licensed, any person driving the vehicle to a medical facility during an emergency, or any licensed driver listed on the rental agreement as an authorized driver. Back to top.
The second type is a warranty of "fitness for a particular purchase.". For instance if you rely on a sellers' advice that a sleeping bag is recommended for sub-zero temperatures, then an implied warranty of fitness for sub-zero temperatures is created.
The materials in your complaint should include the names, phone numbers and addresses of you and your attorney as well as copies of any pertinent documents, papers, and other information connected to the complaint.
If you believe a lawyer may have violated the Rules of Professional Conduct, you can write a letter to the appropriate Attorney Grievance Committee or fill out and submit a form available from their websites. The form or letter should be as clear, specific and detailed as possible when explaining your complaint.
If a complaint is not dismissed, the agency may issue a Letter of Caution or an Admonition. The agency may also issue a Private Reprimand after a hearing. A Letter of Caution is not “discipline and generally does not have to be reported elsewhere. An Admonition or a Reprimand is discipline and may have to be reported.
Formal charges are brought against the lawyers who are alleged to have committed serious misconduct, such as commingling or conversion of client funds, or who are alleged to have committed a pattern of lower-level misconduct, such as multiple neglects of client matters . Formal charges may also be brought if the lawyer has a disciplinary history, which is another reason not to accept an unjustified Letter of Caution or Admonition. Hearings are conducted before court-appointed referees, hearing panels or disciplinary agency subcommittees. The rules governing these proceedings vary from department to department. [ See, 22 NYCRR §605.11 et seq.; 22 NYCRR §691.4; 22 NYCRR §806.5; 22 NYCRR §1022.19 (1).]
Disciplinary Process, from Complaint to Discipline. A disciplinary investigation typically begins with a complaint against a lawyer. The complaint is often from a client, sometimes from an adversary, and occasionally from a judge.
A disciplinary investigation typically begins with a complaint against a lawyer. The complaint is often from a client, sometimes from an adversary, and occasionally from a judge. [ Note: Disciplinary agencies are authorized to begin sua sponte investigations of lawyers, if they have reason to do so.
Sua sponte complaints may be based on media accounts of lawyers’ personal or professional misdeed a or on reported decisions in cases in which lawyers, either as parties or as advocates, are criticized, sanctioned or found guilty of unethical conduct.]
The watchwords for lawyers in the disciplinary process are “candor, contrition, and cooperation,” otherwise known as the “3 Cs.” A lawyer should always “cooperate” with the disciplinary agency, for failure to cooperate may have draconian consequences. A lawyer who fails to answer a disciplinary complaint, or fails to respond to an agency’s requests, or fails to appear in response to a subpoena issued by the Appellate Division, may be suspended for “failure to cooperate.” [ Note: The Appellate Divisions rules provide for the interim suspension of lawyers guilty of conduct immediately threatening the public interest. Lawyers who fail to cooperate are routinely suspended on an interim basis from the practice of law, even if the underlying complaint is not particularly serious.]
Lawyers grumble about the misuse of the disciplinary process by complainants seeking leverage in civil disputes. Although disciplinary agencies are not obliged to halt their investigations because civil litigation is pending, sometimes they will agree to do so. A lawyer who is involved in both a disciplinary matter and parallel civil litigation should not attempt to condition settlement of the civil dispute upon withdrawal of the disciplinary complaint. The disciplinary agency is not bound by the withdrawal of the complaint and may begin a more serious investigation into the lawyer’s attempt to obstruct or interfere with the disciplinary inquiry.
Adjournment of a public hearing is granted only for actual engagement before a higher tribunal on the specific dates of the public hearing, or for other good cause shown as determined by the Division. If a case is adjourned, the Division will schedule a new hearing date.
The hearing usually is scheduled to occur 4 to 6 weeks from the date of the written notice. Prior to receiving this notice, you may receive notice of a Pre-Hearing Settlement Conference, where your case will come before an Administrative Law Judge for the purpose of exploring settlement.
The New York State Human Rights Law and the Division’s Rules of Practice outline the policies and procedures that govern hearings administered by the New York State Division of Human Rights.