how to file a complaint about a lawyer ny

If your lawyer's office is located in Manhattan or The Bronx, complain to Departmental Disciplinary Committee Supreme Court, Appellate Division First Judicial Department 61 Broadway, 2ndFloor New York, NY 10006 (212) 401-0800, fax: (212) 401-0810 If your lawyer's office is located in Brooklyn,

Full Answer

How do I file a complaint against a lawyer?

If you believe a lawyer may have violated the Rules of Professional Conduct, you can write a letter to the appropriate courts' 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.

How do I file a complaint with the NYC Department of Health?

Return the completed complaint form to the Division. You may return the complaint by postal mail to the regional office nearest you, email your complaint to complaints@dhr.ny.gov, or fax it to (718) 741-8322.

Do complaints have to be in writing?

Complaints must be in writing, and if the complaint describes conduct which would be considered improper, if proved, the attorney against whom the complaint is made must respond to the complaint in writing.

How do I find a lawyer in New York State?

Many bar associations in New York State operate Lawyer Referral Services. When you contact a service, you will be given the name, address and telephone number of a lawyer in your area who may be able to help you.

How do I file a complaint with the NYS Attorney General?

ContactComplaint Form: To file a complaint, please complete the form at this link and mail it to us at:Phone: 212-416-8090.Email: public.integrity@ag.ny.gov.PIB Hotline: ... NYS OAG Information and Complaint Helpline: 1-800-771-7755.NY State Police Investigation:More items...

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.

Who regulates attorneys in NY?

the New York State Supreme CourtRegulation of the Legal Profession Lawyers are admitted to practice by the Appellate Division of the New York State Supreme Court and are subject to oversight by that court during the course of their career.

What is it called when a lawyer doesn't do his job?

Legal malpractice is a type of negligence in which a lawyer does harm to his or her client. Typically, this concerns lawyers acting in their own interests, lawyers breaching their contract with the client, and, one of the most common cases of legal malpractice, is when lawyers fail to act on time for clients.

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 ...

Can I sue a lawyer for lying?

No matter what name the agency in your state goes by, they will have a process you can use to file a complaint against your attorney for lying or being incompetent. Examples of these types of behavior include: Misusing your money. Failing to show up at a court hearing.

How do you write a complaint letter about a lawyer?

Formal complaint against [name of lawyer or law firm] describe what the lawyer had been hired to do for you [for example dealing with the sale or purchase of a house] • say when this was [give the date or dates when the problem occurred]. My complaint is that [list what you think went wrong or wasn't done properly.

What does filing a complaint with the attorney general do?

After a complaint is filed, it is reviewed by an attorney general representative who determines whether: The complaint is appropriate for mediation by the office. If it should be referred to another governmental entity that may be more suited to assist with the consumer's complaint. Or both depending on the situation.

How do you find out if an attorney has been disciplined in NY?

The New York court system has added records showing whether an attorney has been disciplined to its publicly available online database.

Why do lawyers ignore you?

If your attorney is not experienced or efficient, they may have missed a deadline or made another mistake and aren't willing to confess their error. There could also be some bad news that is entirely outside of the attorney's control.

What can you do if your lawyer is not responsive?

If your lawyer still does not respond, you can send him or her a letter explaining the communication problems. If at this point you do not hear anything from your lawyer, you should consult with a legal malpractice attorney.

How long should it take for a lawyer to get back to you?

A: The lawyer should be responsive to your questions within 24-48 hours after you left a message. If the lawyer is not responsive, perhaps he or she is on vacation and unable to return.

How to contact OAG?

If you cannot complete the form online or need additional assistance with where to direct your complaint, please call our OAG Help Line at (800) 771-7755.

Is a false complaint a misdemeanor?

Filing a false complaint is punishable as a Class A Misdemeanor.

What to do if you did not include information in your original complaint?

If you obtain some new evidence or informa-tion which you did not include in your originalcomplaint, you should contact the Committeeand request a reevaluation (even if your com-plaint was originally dismissed).

Is a lawyer supposed to be on your side?

Your lawyer is supposed to be on your side, andonly on your side. That means he or she shouldnot be representing someone who is againstyou in the legal matter, unless both you and theperson on the other side have agreed to it.

Where to file a complaint against a lawyer in New York?

A complaint should be filed, by email or regular mail, with the attorney grievance committee having jurisdiction over the county in the State of New York in which the attorney maintains their office for the practice of law. If the attorney is admitted to the bar of New York but does not maintain an office in this state, the complaint may be filed with any attorney grievance committee and, if necessary, it will be transferred to an appropriate committee in the judicial department of the Appellate Division in which the lawyer was admitted to the practice of law.

How to file a complaint against an attorney?

However, if a person believes that an attorney has acted unethically, that person may file a complaint against the lawyer simply by submitting a signed, written statement setting forth a clear, concise statement of the facts and circumstances of the alleged misconduct. No special legal knowledge is needed to file one. The complainant should provide copies of any documentary evidence that supports the claim and include the names and addresses of any witnesses who can support the allegations of the complaint.

What happens when a complaint is transferred to a grievance committee?

The staff attorney will notify the complainant in writing if this occurs and provide the contact information of the committee to which the complaint has been transferred.

What is a staff attorney complaint?

The staff attorney may conclude that a complaint describes conduct that, even if true, does not violate a provision of the Rules of Professional Conduct ( 22 NYCRR part 1200 ), and therefore does not involve professional misconduct. On occasion, an otherwise valid complaint may not be suitable for investigation due to other contributing factors. In such cases, the staff attorney will notify the complainant in writing and explain the reasons why the committee is unable to be of assistance.

What happens if an attorney does not answer a grievance?

The attorney has a professional obligation to comply with that request and the failure to submit an answer may, in and of itself, constitute professional misconduct. After the attorney’s answer is received, the grievance committee may further investigate the complaint by looking at any documents or court records that may help, speaking to witnesses, and speaking further, if necessary, to the complainant and to the attorney.

What are the rules of professional conduct in New York?

These rules state the standard of conduct below which no lawyer can fall without being subject to disciplinary action. Professional Discipline.

How many members are on the grievance committee?

The Attorney Grievance Committees. Each of the three attorney grievance committees in the Second Judicial Department consists of 21 members (no fewer than 3 whom are non-lawyers) who are appointed by the court.

How to contact a lawyer in New York?

Check the Yellow Pages of your telephone directory for the number of your county bar association’s Lawyer Referral Service; if a Lawyer Referral Service does not operate in your county, you may call the New York State Bar Association’s Lawyer Referral and Information Service at 1-800-342-3661 from anywhere in New York State (from the local Albany dialing area, call 463-3200 ext. 2700), or visit NYSBA,

WHO CAN I CONTACT FOR FURTHER INFORMATION OR IN ORDER TO MAKE A COMPLAINT AGAINST AN ATTORNEY?

The grievance committees which are appointed by the Appellate Division of State Supreme Court operate on a regional basis. On the reverse side of this brochure is a list of the grievance committees and the counties over which they have jurisdiction. The jurisdiction of the committees is based upon the location of the office of the attorney against whom a complaint is being made. Therefore, you should make your complaint or inquiry known to the grievance committee which covers the county in which the attorney’s office is located.

WHAT CAN I EXPECT FROM THE GRIEVANCE PROCESS?

The grievance process exists to protect the public. Committee panel members are not paid for their work, but volunteer to do this work in order to maintain the standards of the legal profession. By bringing a complaint to a committee’s attention, the public helps the legal profession achieve its goal. The committees act to resolve a complaint in a manner that is fair to both the complainant and the attorney. However, the only matters that will be addressed by the committees are questions of the ethical conduct of attorneys; they cannot represent you or give you legal advice. They cannot sue an attorney on your behalf, or seek the return of money or property from the attorney.

WHAT IS THE LAWYERS’ FUND FOR CLIENT PROTECTION?

The Lawyers’ Fund for Client Protection is an organization that was created by the State Legislature in 1981 to reimburse losses caused by the dishonest conduct of New York attorneys in the course of their practice. It is funded by attorneys practicing in New York, who are required to pay a biennial registration fee in order to practice. The Fund receives 20% of the fee. An individual need not be represented by a lawyer in order to submit a claim to the Fund. For more information on the operations of the Fund and the filing of a claim with the Fund, you may write to the Fund at 119 Washington Avenue, Albany, New York 11210, or call the Fund’s toll-free number, 1-800-442-FUND. Their website is at: http://www.nylawfund.org

WHAT IS THE ATTORNEY-CLIENT FEE DISPUTE RESOLUTION PROGRAM?

In the event of a fee dispute between an attorney and a client, the client may be entitled to request arbitration or mediation of the dispute through the Attorney-Client Fee Dispute Resolution Program established by the New York State Unified Court System. For information about the program, you may call 877-FEES-137 (877-333-7137) or visit http://www.nycourts.gov/admin/feedispute/index.shtml.

What is the jurisdiction of the grievance committee?

The jurisdiction of the committees is based upon the location of the office of the attorney against whom a complaint is being made. Therefore, you should make your complaint or inquiry known to the grievance committee which covers the county in which the attorney’s office is located. New York and Bronx Counties:

What is a county bar committee?

Each committee investigates the complaints received by it or, in some cases, refers the complaint to a county bar association for resolution.

What happens when a regional office receives a complaint?

Once a regional office receives your complaint the investigation by the Division of Human Rights will begin. Information on changes to the complaint process in response to COVID-19 is available here. .

What is a respondent in a lawsuit?

The first step will be to notify the respondent (s). A respondent is a person or entity who you believe discriminated against you.

How long does it take to get a criminal investigation completed?

In most cases the investigation will be completed within 180 days.

Can domestic workers file an employment complaint?

Domestic workers may also file an employment complaint (see form above) against any agency that placed them, regardless of who directly pays the wages.

Do you have to sign a complaint before submission?

By using the declaration option, you are no longer required to have the complaint notarized. Please note that all complaints must be signed before submission.

Can domestic workers file a complaint against a placement agency?

Domestic workers may file an employment complaint against a placement agency (regardless of who directly pays the wages), but should use the Domestic Workers form below to file a complaint against the person (s) to whom they provide the domestic services. FILLABLE EMPLOYMENT COMPLAINT FORM.