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Avvo Advisor: Should Texas Lawyers Join?
February 23, 2016UPDATE: Avvo has fixed one of the potential issues we identified, the need to make clear to potential clients that the lawyer has paid a fee for the service. Avvo, the legal directory platform which also allows non-lawyers to ask lawyers questions informally, has introduced fixed-fee legal services online. Prices range Read the full post
Study Shows High Frequency of Mental Health Issues Among Lawyers
February 9, 2016A new study from the Journal of Addiction Medicine shows how serious mental health issues are in the legal profession. The study, published in The Prevalence of Substance Use and Other Mental Health Concerns Among American Attorneys (authors Patrick R. Krill, JD, LLM, Ryan Johnson, MA, and Linda Albert, MSSW), Read the full post
Texas Ethics Opinion Allows Lawyers to Use Collection Agencies: Should You Use Them?
February 9, 2016A recent Texas ethics opinion addresses two issues concerning collection of unpaid fees from clients. In Opinion 652, the Professional Ethics Committee addresses whether a lawyer may use a collection agency to collect overdue fees, and whether nonpaying clients may be reported to a credit bureau. Prior opinions of the Read the full post
Law Firm Dissolution: Ethics and Malpractice
January 4, 2016When law firms dissolve, a host of issues must be addressed by firm members. Many of the issues are of a business nature. Who will satisfy lease, loan and other contractual obligations of the firm? How will tax returns, accounts receivables and other accounting issues be resolved? Where will mail Read the full post
Using Law Firm Ethics Counsel to Avoid Claims
August 17, 2015A recent Association of Professional Responsibility Lawyers (APRL) conference in Chicago included a number of good loss prevention ideas from in-house law firm ethics lawyers. Among roles in which in-house counsel can be important: Exercising care in choosing clients. Vetting and guiding lateral hires. Assuring continuing relevant education of law Read the full post
Time Management is Money: Beat the Clock & Save
May 20, 2015One of the most frequent contributors to legal malpractice claims is rushed or forgotten work. A good scheduling system only goes so far toward minimizing time problems; you may end up just watching the deadlines pass if you don’t use your time effectively. Here are ten things you can do Read the full post
Scheduling Errors and Legal Malpractice
May 20, 2015Scheduling errors are the root cause of many legal malpractice claims. It is common to think of scheduling errors as just missed deadlines, but such errors should also be thought of as failures to plan sufficient time to perform work. This article will look at the nature of scheduling errors Read the full post
Sample Office Sharing Agreement
May 19, 2015This is an agreement with respect to the practice of law among [Name], [Name], [Name], and [Name], all sole practitioner lawyers, executed and effective this ______day of [Month], [Year]. The parties to this agreement shall practice law in shared offices according to the terms of this agreement as unaffiliated sole Read the full post
Not My Office Mate’s Keeper: Avoiding Liability In Office Sharing Environments
May 19, 2015Lawyers often share office space with no intent to form a partnership. Unfortunately, an actual partnership or a partnership by estoppel resulting in joint and several liability for malpractice claims can arise from office sharing operations. In addition, breaches of confidentiality can create liability even when lawyers successfully act in a Read the full post
Law Firm Management Of Mental Impairment
May 19, 2015While no statistics definitively set forth the significance of mental impairment as a direct cause of legal malpractice claims, TLIE has witnessed numerous claims that appear to be caused or exacerbated by mental impairments. On many occasions, alcoholism and substance abuse have been significant contributing factors to claims. A significant Read the full post