The most frequent non–lawsuit-related questions that we receive from physicians relate to contact by an attorney about a current or former patient. Most frequently, this contact is in the form of a records request or a notice of claim letter. These 2 situations are relatively uncomplicated. The proper response is clear and straightforward.
The Department of Health and Mental Hygiene's Office of Vital Records has established protocol for attorneys that assist entitled applicants with their requests for vital records. Attorneys may submit requests for New York City birth and death certificates on behalf of clients only when they follow the instructions for submitting an order with the required materials.
Oct 16, 2015 · The Western Law Societies’ Conveyancing Protocol commonly referred to as “Protocol” was established by the four Western Law Societies in 2001. At that time, it was a new conveyancing practice to expedite the residential mortgage process for lenders, to ensure consumers had continued access to independent legal advice, and to preserve the integrity of …
Attorney-client privilege refers to a legal privilege that works to keep confidential communications between an attorney and his or her client secret. The privilege is asserted in the face of a legal demand for the communications, such as a discovery request or a demand that the lawyer testify under oath.
Protocol refers to a set of prescribed real estate practice standards available to lawyers that are covered by mandatory lawyers’ insurance programs. If a claim is made against a lawyer arising from application of Protocol, then the insurance program will accept liability on the part of the lawyer up to the maximum annual aggregate policy limit and move quickly to quantify damages. Where one of these claims is made, the levy surcharge and any deductible will be waived, provided the lawyer has followed the practices prescribed in the Protocol.
The key to closing a Protocol transaction is reading the practice standards, which can be found here . Depending on if you are acting on behalf of the seller or the buyer you will want to take special notice of different sections, specifically Sections D & E.
When one lawyer is acting for multiple parties, including the seller, the buyer and the lender (where permitted by lender instructions). There should be some indication on the file that protocol is being followed, and the lawyer will be obligated to acknowledge the protocol undertakings required of the seller’s lawyer.
Lenders are covered for a claim resulting in actual loss to a lender due an intervening registration which takes priority over the mortgage; or a claim due to a survey defect which was unknown at the date of advance but which would have been disclosed by an up-to-date Real Property Report with a Compliance Stamp.
Today, in Alberta anyway, Protocol has been widely adopted as the common closing mechanism for residential real estate transactions. From time to time, questions come up as to the proper procedure and general application of Protocol. Here’s what you need to know.
Protocol does not change the obligations of the parties under the real estate purchase contract.
There may be special circumstances that suggest that Protocol is not appropriate even in situations where it is available . Lawyers are expected to use their judgement to not put the program at risk. Examples of high risk scenarios include:
Opinions selected for official publication also are provided to West Publishing and The Colorado Lawyer .
During conference, the division also discusses whether a draft opinion merits publication. Colorado Appellate Rule 35 (e) provides that a case should be published when the opinion: (1) lays down a new rule of law, alters or modifies an existing rule, or applies an established rule to novel facts; (2) involves a legal issue of continuing public interest; (3) directs attention to the shortcomings of existing common law or statutes; or (4) resolves an apparent conflict of authority.
Because of this, judges see a wide variety of cases. This random assignment helps attract qualified applicants for judicial vacancies and, because contact with lawyers and the public is limited, helps avoid burnout by engaging judges’ intellectual curiosity. The process of random selection also ensures that a diversity of ideas from the varied backgrounds of the judges will inform a division’s decision.
They are responsible for editing all of the cases announced by the court. The court employs nineteen full-time Staff Attorneys and a small support staff.
Attorneys for either side may request oral argument. These requests are routinely granted, although the division may, in its discretion, deny such a request. The division also may order a case be orally argued, even though a party did not request oral argument.
If a patient does not authorize the release of this information, the office must declare in writing the following: "This disclosure does not contain patient medical information, if any, that is protected by special state and/or federal confidentiality laws and which cannot be disclosed without specific written consent.".
The physician may prepare a summary of the medical record, if acceptable to the patient.
Specific laws require additional specific authorization to protect the medical record of the diagnosis and/or treatment of the following patient conditions: minors, HIV, psychiatric/mental health conditions, and alcohol/substance abuse.
Generally, you'll address an attorney just as you would anyone else. However, you'll typically use a more formal title, such as "Esquire," if you're writing to an attorney in their professional capacity. When in doubt, err on the side of formality. You can always ask the attorney how they prefer to be addressed.
For example, if you were addressing a wedding invitation to John Justice, who is an attorney, and his wife Jane, you would use "Mr. and Ms. John and Jane Justice" or "Mr. and Mrs. John Justice."
If the attorney has more than one degree, list the abbreviations after their name in order from highest to lowest. For example, if John Justice has a JD and an MBA, you would list his name as "John Justice, JD, MBA.". Tip: Even though JD stands for "Juris Doctorate," a JD is not a doctoral degree.
Tip: "Esquire" is a courtesy title that only has significance in the legal field. Don't use it at all when addressing an attorney socially, either in writing or in person.
Try "Attorney at Law" as an alternative to "Esquire. " If using the courtesy title "Esquire" feels stuffy to you, "Attorney at Law" also conveys the same level of honor and respect. Instead of placing it after the attorney's name, use two lines with "Attorney at Law" directly underneath the attorney's full name.
Add "JD" after an attorney's name in an academic setting. Even if the attorney is licensed to practice law , if they're writing an article in a law journal or working as a law professor, you'll typically use "JD" instead of "Esquire.".
Pay attention to the name that female attorneys use socially. Many married female attorneys use their maiden name professionally and their spouse's name socially. If you know an attorney who does this, take care to use her preferred name on social correspondence.
In some instances, a subpoena may be accompanied by a protective order — a document indicating the parties to the lawsuit have agreed to an order and presented it to a judge for signature. The protective order must state that the protected health information (PHI) can only be used for the current proceeding; shared with no one else; and returned or destroyed (including all copies) at the close of the litigation.
You have a deadline of 15 days to provide a written, signed, and dated statement detailing the reason for the denial and providing instructions to the requestor on how to file a complaint with the federal Department of Health and Human Services (if the physician is subject to HIPAA) and the Texas Medical Board.
Patients, their families, or attorneys may request medical records for any number of reasons. Often, those reasons include legal proceedings against other persons, entities, or even against the physician from whom they make the records request. Therefore, it is imperative to have a system in place that allows the release of complete, legible, ...
If the patient has died or been legally declared incompetent, the request must be accompanied by a medical authorization signed by the authorized executor of the patient’s estate or the patient’s appointed legal guardian. The request should also be accompanied by documentation confirming that the requestor has been designated as the authorized executor of the patient’s estate or legal guardian.
Rarely does a judge sign a civil subpoena. Instead, the subpoena is typically issued by a court reporter or attorney, although the language makes it sound like some judicial authority is requiring compliance. Look for a signature (sometimes stamped) of a person identified as a judge.
Pursuant to HIPAA regulations, if your medical record contains any notes forwarded to you by a mental health care professional you cannot re-disclose that information, even under subpoena. HIPAA defines mental health care professionals as psychiatrists, psychologists, and Licensed Professional Counselors.
Ask for an authorization in most cases. (Except for a criminal proceeding. If the subpoena is signed by the district clerk and is regarding a criminal proceeding, there is no need for a signed HIPAA Authorization or Qualified Protective Order.)
If you receive one, contact your attorney immediately. Some people think if they don’t respond, the sender will go away. This is usually not the case — especially if the other party has retained an attorney.
That’s often why it’s written by an attorney because you want to be very careful about what is said in a demand letter.
A demand letter does not have to be written by an attorney but a letter coming from a law firm is generally taken more seriously and will provide the protections listed above. 5. Never ignore a demand letter. If you receive one, contact your attorney immediately.
In some cases, sending a demand letter is required before going to court. 3. The information in a demand letter may be used against you. If you do wind up in court, a judge will read the demand letter. Being insulting or threatening can hurt your case.