how to file a complaint against a lawyer in ky

by Cristal McCullough 10 min read

How To File A Complaint Against An Attorney In Kentucky

  • Write Your Complaint Out. You should draw up a rough draft of your complaint before you ever go to file it. ...
  • Get Your Complaint Notarized. Once you have written out your complaint in black ink, you will need to sign it and take it to a notary republic to have it ...
  • Send Your Complaint In. ...

Full Answer

How do I file a complaint against a lawyer?

Must contain your name, address, and contact information Must include a notarized signature (copies of your signature will not be accepted) Click here for the Office of Bar Counsel's form and instructions for filing a complaint. You may also call our office at 502.564.3795 ext. 723 to request the form be mailed to you.

How do I file a discrimination complaint in Kentucky?

Submit a Complaint If you feel that you are a victim of discrimination, contact us by filling out the following Inquiry Form. If you need help with discrimination or believe you may be a victim of illegal discrimination, contact the Kentucky Commission on Human Rights for help. Ask to make a discrimination complaint.

How do I report lawyer misconduct in Kentucky?

If you think your lawyer or another lawyer has committed an act you believe is in violation of the ethics rules, you are encouraged to report it to the Kentucky Bar Association for an investigation. Even if your complaint does not result in a charge of misconduct it is still important the matter is reported.

Is this complaint available for public view in Kentucky?

Under Kentucky's Open Records Act, this complaint will be available for public view upon request. However, certain personal information, such as account numbers, is not subject to the Open Records Act. Please provide as much information as possible.

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How do I report a lawyer in Kentucky?

Click here for the Office of Bar Counsel's form and instructions for filing a complaint. You may also call our office at 502.564. 3795 ext. 723 to request the form be mailed to you.

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.

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 ...

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

* You may request a complaint form be sent to you by calling our toll free number at 888-432-9257 and selecting option #3. Please leave your name and address and indicate whether your complaint is against a telemarketer, automobile dealer, or other type of business.

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.

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 is considered an ethical violation?

What is an ethical violation? In a nutshell, an ethical violation is something that is - spoken, written, actioned - that violates a company's documented code of ethics, mission, vision, values, and culture. We also know that ethical violations laugh in the face of what is considered normal societal behaviour.

What are the common breaches of ethics committed by lawyers?

The following are some of the most common ethical violations that can be encountered:The attorney failed to communicate with the client. ... The attorney has failed to return important documents to the client. ... The attorney demonstrated incompetence. ... Conflicts of interest were apparent. ... Financial discrepancy was apparent.

Who are lawyers accountable?

​Lawyer Accountability ​The legal profession is largely self-regulated, which makes it difficult for bad lawyers to be held accountable to their clients. Lawyers are often exempt from consumer fraud laws and other protections that apply to every other provider of consumer services.

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.

What is a general complaint?

A General Complaint is when a client expresses dissatisfaction with a situation related to the Family Assistance Administration and requests management intervention. The Complaint Tracker is used to track General Complaints. A General Complaint is neither a request for an Appeal nor a Discrimination Complaint.

What does Kentucky Attorney General do?

As the chief prosecutor, the Attorney General is the Chairman of the Kentucky Prosecutors Advisory Council, which supervises the prosecutors of Kentucky (KRS 15.700, KRS 15.705). As chief law officer, they write opinions to advise government officials and agencies concerning the law.

What to do if you think your lawyer violates the ethics rules?

If you think your lawyer or another lawyer has committed an act you believe is in violation of the ethics rules, you are encouraged to report it to the Kentucky Bar Association for an investigation. Even if your complaint does not result in a charge of misconduct it is still important the matter is reported. The KBA depends on the public to report possible ethics rule violations to prevent attorneys from continuing to violate ethics rules and possibly harm future clients.

What are the Kentucky Rules of Professional Conduct?

To that end, the Kentucky Supreme court has created The Kentucky Rules of Professional Conduct for all lawyers who practice law in the state.

What is the Office of Bar Counsel?

The Office of Bar Counsel (OBC), acting as an agency of the Supreme Court, is responsible for investigating complaints against lawyers practicing in Kentucky. The OBC also prosecutes charges of ethical misconduct issued by the Inquiry Commission.

What is the Kentucky Supreme Court's rule of professional conduct?

The lawyers of Kentucky and the Kentucky Supreme Court recognize actions should be taken to prevent unethical conduct and restore confidence and trust should misconduct occur. To that end, the Kentucky Supreme court has created The Kentucky Rules of Professional Conduct for all lawyers who practice law in the state.

Can a complaint be hand written?

Can be hand written or typed. Must include the name of the attorney you are filing against. Must contain your name, address, and contact information. Must include a notarized signature (copies of your signature will not be accepted) Click here for the Office of Bar Counsel's form and instructions for filing a complaint.

What to do if you are unsure about an attorney?

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:

What are some examples of attorney practices that violate the Rules?

Some examples of attorney practices that violates the Rules include: Failure to provide an accounting of your money or property held by the attorney. Commingling your funds with the attorney's own money. Refusing to return your file at the conclusion of the representation.

What are some examples of attorney misconduct?

Some examples of attorney practices that violates the Rules include: Serious neglect of your case. Failure to provide an accounting of your money ...

What to include in a complaint against the judicial commission?

Include any details, names, dates, places, addresses, and telephone numbers to assist the Commission in its evaluation and investigation of this complaint. Attach any documents or recordings of court proceedings pertaining to this complaint.

Does the Commission have authority to review a case for judicial error?

The Commission does not have authority to review a case for judicial error or to direct a different result in the case. Those functions are to be handled through the appeals process available through the state’s appellate courts. If you seek to change the outcome of your case, discuss this with an attorney without delay.

How to search for suspended lawyers?

To search for currently suspended or disbarred attorneys, select "Yes" next to the corresponding reason field (s) and then click "Continue.". After clicking "Continue," a list of lawyers will appear. Click on a lawyer's name to view more information.

Can a complaint be filed against an attorney in Kentucky?

As such, the Kentucky Bar Association is not able to confirm or deny that a complaint has been filed against an attorney, that an attorney is being investigated for an alleged violation of the Kentucky Rules of Professional Conduct, or that an attorney has received a private reprimand.

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Ethical Conduct

  • The American legal system and the attorney-client relationship are founded on trust. Although few attorneys ever betray that trust, when a breach does occur, damage to individuals and the entire system may result. The lawyers of Kentucky and the Kentucky Supreme Court recognize actions should be taken to prevent unethical conduct and restore confidence and trust should miscondu…
See more on kybar.org

Ethics Violations

  • If you think your lawyer or another lawyer has committed an act you believe is in violation of the ethics rules, you are encouraged to report it to the Kentucky Bar Association for an investigation. Even if your complaint does not result in a charge of misconduct it is still important the matter is reported. The KBA depends on the public to report possible ethics rule violations to prevent attor…
See more on kybar.org

Filing A Complaint

  • A complaint must be a sworn written statement, and 1. Cannot be submitted by telephone, email, or fax 2. Can be hand written or typed 3. Must include the name of the attorney you are filing against 4. Must contain your name, address, and contact information 5. Must include a notarized signature (copies of your signature will not be accepted) Click ...
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Complaint Review

  • The Office of Bar Counsel (OBC), acting as an agency of the Supreme Court, is responsible for investigating complaints against lawyers practicing in Kentucky. The OBC also prosecutes charges of ethical misconduct issued by the Inquiry Commission. Your complaint will go through an initial review to determine whether it alleges an ethical rule violation we can investigate. In so…
See more on kybar.org

Ethics Opinions

  • The Kentucky Bar Association Office of Bar Counsel has worked to make sure this set of ethics opinionsis the most complete, accurate and reliable set available to the members of the bar or general public. As new opinions are issued they will be added to this online listing.
See more on kybar.org

Ethics and Professionalism Enhancement Program

  • For KBA Members who are required to attend the Annual Ethics and Professionalism Enhancement Program (EPEP), the next program will occur on the date, time, and at the location indicated below:
See more on kybar.org

Trust Account Management Program

  • For KBA Members who are required to attend the Trust Account Management Program (TAMP), the next program will occur on the date, time, and at the location indicated below:
See more on kybar.org