responding to someone who says they will contact their lawyer

Once someone says he/she is an attorney calling on behalf of a client, tell the caller to fax you a letter of representation on his/her law office's stationery. If you do not receive the fax, don't bother talking to that person again. If you do receive a letter of representation, forward it to your attorney.

Full Answer

How do you respond to a letter from a lawyer?

Crafting Your Response. It’s always best to have an attorney respond, on your behalf, to a “lawyer letter,” or a phone call from a lawyer. If that’s not an option for you, though, make sure that you send a typed, written response to the attorney (by e-mail or mail), and keep a copy for yourself.

What should I do if a lawyer calls me?

Don’t scream or swear at, threaten, or hang up on lawyers that call you. They’re just doing their job. Demonstrate that you are interested in resolving the situation by using the least burdensome means available. There are several Alternative Dispute Resolution (“ADR”) techniques parties can use to resolve disputes.

What happens if a lawyer does not respond to a message?

Lawyers who fail to communicate may not understand their clients’ wishes and clients may not receive crucial case information. This communication failure can also result in missed deadlines and settlement offers. If your attorney has stopped responding to your message, you may wonder if they have committed legal malpractice.

Who should I talk to about a law suit?

If your company is involved in law suit with an individual, your company's attorney should be talking with the individual's attorney. Neither you nor the individual should be talking to anyone but your own attorneys.

What happens to lawyers after first contact?

Lawyers will often receive defensive or abuse phone calls or letters after the first contact. This type of emotional reaction either; (i) does not help solve the problem at hand, or (ii) gives the lawyer the upper hand as they know they may be able to manipulate emotions to get the results they want for their client.

What are some situations that are worthy of taking legal action?

Most situations that are worthy of taking legal action are either related to money, family, or both and can involve one party trying to blame another to obtain a benefit of some kind. They are usually highly emotive topics and can bring up all manner of emotions.

When you are sued, shouldn't you get too concerned?

When it comes to being sued normally you shouldn't get too concerned unless you're actually served with a lawsuit or a criminal information.

What happens if you survive a motion for summary judgment?

Once the suit is filed, you can answer and keep in mind that if you survive a motion for summary judgment it will in all likelihood be ordered to settlement. Most of the time, the threat is meaningless.

What happens if you don't do pro bono?

If you don’t, you probably would have lost anyway. However - a little effort on your part might surprise you. A lot of lawyers accept a few “pro bono” (the entire phrase is “pro bono publica”, generally understood as “for the good of society or the law in the abstract” - pro bono publico meaning) cases periodically.

Is extortion a threat?

Generally, extortion is a threat to do something illegal, and bringing a lawsuit is only illegal if you know that you have absolutely no basis for it, or a fraudulent basis. Definition of extort | Dictionary.com.

Can an ethical lawyer advise a law suit?

More often than not they will fail to do so. No ethical lawyer will advise a law suit where there is no legal basis and no honest lawyer will take on a case without a comprehensive explanation of the time and cost of litigating the case.

Can you threaten a frivolous lawsuit?

No ethical lawyer will advise you to threaten a frivolous lawsuit, but, of course, you could still do it yourself. Don't. Threatening frivolous litigation is an abuse of our legal system. One of the negative externalities of such threats is a loss of trust and faith in our legal system.

What to do if you receive a letter threatening legal action?

Now what? First, do not panic. Don’t immediately comply with the letter, get angry and write a fiery response, or destroy the letter in the hope that the issue will go away. You have many decisions to make on how to respond, and a cool head will serve you well. Although the correspondence will be unique to your situation and the CMLP cannot give you specific legal advice, here are some guidelines to help you determine your course of action.#N#1. Look carefully at the letter’s contents.

How to respond to a subpoena letter?

If a lawsuit complaint, subpoena, or other legal filing is attached, refer to our sections on Responding to Lawsuits and Responding to Subpoenas for guidance on how best to proceed. 2. Check to see who sent the letter.

Can you edit a letter before sending it?

It often helps to ask someone you trust to review and edit your letter before you send it. The law does not protect your activity: If you determine that your activity is not legally defensible, stop it immediately and do not wait for the sender to file a lawsuit against you.

What to do when the courts decide for you?

If the courts have to decide for you, I can almost always guarantee you that no one will win. The best thing both parties can do is set aside the egos and anger, respond calmly, reasonably and then work together to seek a genuine solution.... and document and tape record every single keystroke or word as you do.

What does it mean to threaten someone with a lawsuit?

Threatening someone with a lawsuit is the verbal equivalent of picking up a baseball bat and waving it at you. It's intended to intimidate and scare you. Stand your ground.

Why do you need both a contract and documented proof of attempting to resolve the issue?

Having both a contract and documented proof of attempting to resolve the issue will help ensure that you aren't sued because the threatening party's attorney is going to read and review the case first, and then advise their client whether they can win, what they can win, and if it's worth the battle.

Does an email count as proof of legal contract?

If it's not written down (or tape recorded) it doesn't exist. Emails count as proof of legal contract, unless you have a clause in your email signature that they don't. After explaining to a client the facts of a case they screamed at me, literally, that I was a moron and they didn't want that in their book.

What happens if an attorney does not represent the client?

If the attorney does not represent the client, which I would ask to be confirmed in writing, then you have no obligation to provide any information regarding a case. In some situations, (such as if YOU were an attorney yourself), it would be an ethical violation for you to say anything.

What is the obligation of a real attorney?

A "real attorney" has an obligation to maintain client confidentiality and not tell any Tom, Dick or Harry who s/he represents unless the client has specifically authorized them to do so.

What happens if you don't disclose who you represent?

Furthermore, if you or your company is involved with litigation and represented by an attorney already, any other attorneys should never contact you but should go through your attorney directly. This is an ethical rule. If the person tries to contact you again instead of your attorney, let your attorney know right away.

Do you have to disclose the name of the client in a lawsuit?

In that case, the attorney doesn't need to disclose the name of the client. However, your situation sounds a little suspicious. If your company is involved in law suit with an individual, your company's attorney should be talking with the individual's attorney.

Can an attorney disclose who they are working for?

An attorney is not allowed to disclose who they are working for, unless they have that person's permission. Attorneys,for example, are not allowed to post a listing of their clients, unless each clients has given permission to be on the list. It is rarely in the client's best interest to have it revealed who their attorney is, and so the attorney should rarely ask to list such things. But, if an attorney is representing a person in a particular matter and if they are contacting an opposing party, then they should say who they are representing. But, this is not always the case and it depends what the situation is. For example, lawyers are allowed to act on someone's behalf and not reveal who they are working for, or even that they are working for anyone. This is often the case, especially in big real estate bargaining. However, if someone calls you for information and you are not satisfied that they have a right to know, you do not need to answer or give them any information at all. If a lawyer is representing a person and is going to discuss or negotiate on the person's behalf, they will let you know they are engaged to represent the person in that dealing. If there is a court case pending and a lawyer is officially representing a party, they will put their name on the court filings, and will often send letter saying whom they represent. Often, a lawyer may seek information on behalf of a client, but not want to reveal for whom they work. It is up to you to decide whether you wish to give such a person information. The one main thing a lawyer cannot do is lie and say they represent someone they do not represent. So if you ask a lawyer whom they represent in the matter, if anyone, the lawyer is not allowed to falsely name someone. But, they can refuse to answer, and you can refuse to discuss with them. However, in some locations, there are special rules about a lawyer acting as a real estate agent being allow to bluff certain things. To accurately answer your question, I would need all the details.

Is the identity of a client confidential?

The identity of a client is usually considered to be confidential information - so the attorney was correct in not answering your question. Usually, it is only after the client grants permission to the lawyer to reveal the relationship - then the attorney is permitted to do so.

Is a lawyer's communication confidential?

Communications between an attorney and the attorney's client are confidential unless the client waives the privilege. There are, however, many exceptions. Since you did not mention having any exceptional legal relationship to the client or the client's attorney, the answer most likely is no. Report Abuse.

When communicating with the accused in a criminal matter, must a government lawyer comply with this rule?

When communicating with the accused in a criminal matter, a government lawyer must comply with this Rule in addition to honoring the constitutional rights of the accused. The fact that a communication does not violate a state or federal constitutional right is insufficient to establish that the communication is permissible under this Rule. ...

Can a lawyer request a court order?

A lawyer may also seek a court order in exceptional circumstances to authorize a communication that would otherwise be prohibited by this Rule, for example, where communication with a person represented by counsel is necessary to avoid reasonably certain injury.

Can a lawyer make a communication prohibited by this rule?

A lawyer may not make a communication prohibited by this Rule through the acts of another. See Rule 8.4 (a). Parties to a matter may communicate directly with each other, and a lawyer is not prohibited from advising a client concerning a communication that the client is legally entitled to make.

Is consent required for a lawyer to communicate with a former constituent?

Consent of the organization’s lawyer is not required for communication with a former constituent. If a constituent of the organization is represented in the matter by his or her own counsel, the consent by that counsel to a communication will be sufficient for purposes of this Rule. Compare Rule 3.4 (f).

Can a lawyer evade the requirement of obtaining the consent of counsel by closing eyes to the obvious?

See Rule 1.0 (f). Thus, the lawyer cannot evade the requirement of obtaining the consent of counsel by closing eyes to the obvious.

What happens if an attorney doesn't respond to a client's message?

If your attorney has stopped responding to your message, you may wonder if they have committed legal malpractice.

What to do if you don't hear from your lawyer?

If at this point you do not hear anything from your lawyer, you should consult with a legal malpractice attorney. A knowledgeable legal malpractice attorney can review the circumstances of a case and attempt to communicate with your unresponsive lawyer.

How to contact a malpractice lawyer?

Before contacting a malpractice attorney, you should attempt to contact your attorney multiple times by phone, email and other communication platforms you have used to reach him or her . If your lawyer still does not respond, you can send him or her a letter explaining the communication problems.

What are the rules of professional conduct?

According to The American Bar Association (ABA) model rules of professional conduct related to communication, lawyers must: · Inform clients of decisions and circumstance related to their case. · Consult with clients about how they will accomplish their legal goals. · Respond to client requests for information.

Can you practice law without clients?

Without clients, you don’t get to practice law. If your clients are calling you, it’s likely because they need something. The thing they need may seem insignificant to me or you. They may just want to know about the status of their case.

Do unhappy clients stick around?

A client who believes his correspondence or phone calls are going into an abyss is an unhappy client. And unhappy clients don’t stick around.

Does opposing counsel respond to overdue discovery emails?

There are other times though that opposing counsel doesn’t respond to my overdue-discovery email. And they don’t respond to the second email. But then they get fussy when I file a motion to compel. Respond to the other lawyers in your life when they reach out to you. It’s good for your relationships with each other.