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 relevant documents. In some states, you may be able to lodge your complaint over the phone or online.
The Office of the Bar Counsel and the Board of Bar Overseers do not provide legal services or advice. If you wish to be referred to an attorney you might contact the Massachusetts Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service at www.masslawhelp.com or at (617) 654-0400. The attorneys at the Office of the Bar Counsel do not and cannot represent you personally in the …
File a complaint. If you have already filed a complaint about this issue, and have a question or need to provide new information, please call our Consumer Hotline at 617-727-8400. Do not file an additional complaint. Please do not send additional documentation to the office until we contact you regarding your complaint.
Apr 05, 2022 · Rule 10 (a) states, "Every pleading shall contain a caption setting forth the name of the court, the county, the title of the action, the docket number, and a designation as in Rule 7 (a). In the complaint the title of the action shall include the names of all the parties, but in other pleadings it is sufficient to state the name of the first ...
Apr 03, 2017 · Criminal conduct. If you are unsure whether your concerns with an attorney involve professional misconduct, in most states you can call or email the disciplinary office and discuss the matter prior to submitting a written complaint. Contact information for attorney regulatory authorities, by jurisdiction: Alabama. Alaska.
To sue someone in Massachusetts, you have to file a complaint with the clerk of the court. A complaint is not a specific form. It is a document that contains a short statement of the facts showing your claim and why you are entitled to relief and a demand for judgment granting that relief. While the courts have forms that can be used as complaints for some types of actions, such as divorce, in general you must draft the complaint yourself. This guide is an overview of the process of drafting a complaint for a civil action.
For each claim, go through every element of the claim in separate paragraphs, stating the specific facts that establish each element.
In the complaint the title of the action shall include the names of all the parties, but in other pleadings it is sufficient to state the name ...
The statement of facts is the section of a complaint where you tell your story by stating the facts that resulted in the dispute with the defendants. You should tell your story in a straightforward manner that is "simple, concise, and direct." Rule 8 (e). The statement of facts should tell the complete story, but it does not have to include every detail. You do not have to provide evidence that the facts are true, and you should not include facts or evidence that do not relate directly to your claims against the defendants. A reader should be able to understand what happened, but should not have to wade through pages of detailed descriptions.
You should tell your story in a straightforward manner that is "simple, concise, and direct.". Rule 8 (e). The statement of facts should tell the complete story, but it does not have to include every detail.
This section is where you tell the court what relief you should get if you win. The relief may be an award of damages, it may be an injunction to stop the defendants from acting or require them to act , or it may be something else allowed by statute. You can request multiple kinds of relief, either cumulatively (such as compensatory damages and punitive damages) or in the alternative (such as an injunction or damages). In general, the court is not bound by the request for relief and can grant whatever relief you are entitled to if you win, even if you did not request it. Rule 54 (c). Still, it is a good idea to end your request for relief with a catchall paragraph that requests "such other relief as the Court deems just."
The statement of facts is the section of a complaint where you tell your story by stating the facts that resulted in the dispute with the defendants. You should tell your story in a straightforward manner that is "simple, concise, and direct.". Rule 8 (e). The statement of facts should tell the complete story, but it does not have ...
If the complaint is found to be true, the disciplinary board can fine the attorney, force the attorney to attend classes or perform community service, or take away the attorney's license. The disciplinary board typically does not give the person who complained about the attorney any money.
For attorneys, a disciplinary action is very serious as it can directly affect their ability to earn a living. It may be best to first try and resolve any dispute you have with the attorney on your own.
In many states, a division of the courts handles these complaints. This is typically referred to as the disciplinary board. Some states rely on their state bar associations to discipline their attorneys. You can find out where to send attorney complaints by looking at your state court system's website.
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 relevant documents. In some states, you may be able to lodge your complaint over the phone or online.
If there's no evidence of a violation, the board will dismiss the case and notify you. If the violation is minor, a phone call or letter to the lawyer usually ends the matter.
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.
Lawyers are human, and like everyone else, they sometimes make mistakes when representing clients. In some cases, the mistakes are small and easily fixable—for example, not filing enough copies of a document with the court or needing to reschedule a meeting. Other times, the mistakes are serious—such as missing the deadline to file a lawsuit, ...
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.
Lawyers have a duty to keep their clients reasonably informed about the status of their cases, to respond promptly to requests for information, and to consult with their clients about important decisions in their cases (for example, whether to accept a settlement offer). Not returning the client's documents.
When a client fires a lawyer and asks for the file, the lawyer must promptly return it. In some states, such as California, the lawyer must return the file even if attorneys’ fees haven’t been paid in full. Lawyer incompetence. Lawyers must have the knowledge and experience to competently handle any case that they take on.
File your own answer to any counterclaims. If the other side alleges any counterclaims against you, Massachusetts gives you 20 days to file your own answer to those counterclaims. [28]
Personal jurisdiction deals with whether the court has the power to order the person you're suing to do something or to pay you money. For that to happen, the person you're suing must have sufficient connection to the county where that court is located.
The certificate of service is your promise to the court to serve the person using a particular method.
A deposition is a formal interview in which all questions and answers are documented by a court reporter. The court reporter later produced a transcript for your records.
Jennifer Mueller is an in-house legal expert at wikiHow. Jennifer reviews, fact-checks, and evaluates wikiHow's legal content to ensure thoroughness and accuracy. She received her JD from Indiana University Maurer School of Law in 2006.
A copy of the complaint or claim and a copy of the answer to the complaint or claim. Please include the name of the case, the name of the court or agency where the case is pending and the docket number of the case.
A copy of any correspondence (letters, emails, texts) to the attorney requesting your file or asking for a response. (If you did not keep copies, please begin to do so).
Gather your records: sales receipts, warranties, contracts, or work orders. Print email messages or logs of any contact you've had with the seller about the purchase. 2. Contact the Seller. Use USA.gov's sample complaint letter to explain your problem.
If the seller doesn't resolve the issue, a government office or a consumer organization may be able to help: File a complaint with your local consumer protection office or the state agency that regulates the company. Notify the Better Business Bureau (BBB) in your area about your problem.
The BBB tries to resolve your complaints against companies. Some federal agencies accept complaints about companies, but may not resolve your problem. They use complaints to help them investigate fraud. Contact econsumer.gov. if you are complaining about items you bought online, from a seller outside the U.S.
Your state attorney general. Econsumer.gov, if your purchase was with a foreign retailer. If you made the purchase using your credit card, dispute the charge with your credit card company.