where do i go to file a complaint against my lawyer in indiana

by Stanley Romaguera 4 min read

It's always a good idea to try to work things out with your lawyer informally. If that doesn't work, you may file a grievance with the Disciplinary Commission within the Indiana courts system. Visit the Indiana Disciplinary Commission’s website to learn about what types of violations attorneys can be disciplined for, and how to file complaints.

Full Answer

How do I file a complaint against an attorney?

It's always a good idea to try to work things out with your lawyer informally. If that doesn't work, you may file a grievance with the Disciplinary Commission within the Indiana courts system. Visit the Indiana Disciplinary Commission’s website to learn about what types of violations attorneys can be disciplined for, and how to file complaints. Note that the Disciplinary Commission does …

How do I file a grievance with the Indiana Supreme Court disciplinary commission?

This form is found below or you can request a form be mailed to you by contacting the Disciplinary Commission office at (317) 232-1807. You can submit this form in one of two ways: Open and complete the form, save it to your computer, then attach it along with any supporting documents in an email to DCGrievance@courts.in,gov .

What happens if I file a complaint with the State Bar?

 · If you believe an attorney has committed professional misconduct, you have the option of filing a complaint with the attorney regulatory authorities in your jurisdiction (links below). There are a few important things to keep in mind when thinking of filing a complaint:

What is the investigation process for a complaint against a lawyer?

 · You can find out where to send attorney complaints by looking at your state court system's website. If they review complaints against attorneys, there will be a link with instructions on how to file. What happens after I file a complaint against an attorney?

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How do I file a complaint against an attorney in Indiana?

What do I do if I have a complaint against a lawyer?Open and complete the form, save it to your computer, then attach it along with any supporting documents in an email to DCGrievance@courts.in,gov. ... Open and complete the form, print it and mail it to:

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.

Can you sue a lawyer for not doing their job?

A claim of malpractice may exist if your lawyer exhibited negligence in your representation. If your lawyer's negligence caused you to suffer harm or a less advantageous outcome or settlement in your case, you may have a claim to sue your lawyer for professional negligence.

Who is the attorney general in Indiana?

Attorneys General are chosen by a statewide general election to serve for a four-year term. The forty-fourth and current Attorney General is Todd Rokita....Indiana Attorney GeneralIncumbent Todd Rokita since January 11, 2021Term lengthFour yearsConstituting instrumentConstitution of IndianaFormation18554 more rows

What do you do when your lawyer lies to you?

The rules of legal ethics in most states require attorneys to be honest and to be able to do their job at a certain level of competence. If you feel that your legal representative has lied or misled you, or is performing their duties at a level below that of a competent attorney, you may want to file a lawsuit.

How do I lodge a complaint against a lawyer in South Africa?

Members of the public can lodge complaints against any law professional through a legal hotline called the “Trustline” initiative which is run by the Law Society of South Africa and the Attorneys Fidelity Fund. The public can lodge complaints at 0800-202-036 or at trustline@tip-off.com.

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.

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.

What is a Marsden hearing?

A Marsden motion is a formal request made by a criminal defendant to the court. The court hears arguments on the motion from the defendant and the attorney, without the presence of the prosecutor.

What are the duties of the attorney general of Indiana?

Indiana Attorney General His office represents the state in cases involving the state's interest, provides legal defense to state officials or agencies in court, and gives formal legal advisory opinions on constitutional or legal questions to state officials.

What does the attorney general do?

The Attorney General is the adviser to the Government on matters of law and legal opinion and attends Government meetings. They also represent the public in all legal proceedings that involve the enforcement of the law or the protection of public rights.

What is the fees of Mukul Rohatgi?

He was appointed Special Prosecutor and received a fee of Rs. 1.20 crore from the government of Maharashtra in the high-profile case probing the death of CBI Special Judge BH Loya. In April 2018, the Supreme Court had quashed the plea demanding a probe into his death, and Rohatgi had hailed the apex court's decision.

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 to do if you believe an attorney has committed professional misconduct?

If you believe an attorney has committed professional misconduct, you have the option of filing a complaint with the attorney regulatory authorities in your juris diction (links below).

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 happens if a lawyer complains about a lawyer?

If the complaint is sustained, the disciplinary board will begin its investigation. Sometimes the lawyer will be required to appear at a hearing and answer questions about the incident that prompted the complaint. 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. It usually serves only to admonish, suspend, or disbar attorneys who break the rules governing the practice of law.

What is the name of the board that handles complaints against lawyers?

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.

What is disciplinary action for an attorney?

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.

What happens if a complaint is found to be true?

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.

Do lawyers make mistakes?

Most lawyers do their most to provide the best representation possible. However, every so often lawyers do not act properly or make serious mistakes, and in those cases their clients can file a complaint with the entity responsible for overseeing the practice of law in their state.

You can submit this form in one of two ways

Open and complete the form, save it to your computer then attach it to an email and send it to jqcinquiry@courts.in.gov. When emailing a fillable form, save the form using the print as PDF option. If you do not know how to print as PDF, see this quick tutorial. Make sure you have the most current version of Adobe Reader installed.

What to expect

The Commission is required to maintain the confidentiality of all complaints and investigations unless formal charges are filed. You will be notified first, if that happens.

What to do if you think your lawyer violated an ethical rule?

If you think your lawyer has violated an ethical rule, you may file a complaint with the disciplinary board in the state where the lawyer is licensed.

What happens if you don't report a violation of the law?

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.

What is a public reprimand?

issue a private reprimand (usually a letter sent to the lawyer) issue a public reprimand (usually published in the agency’s official reports and a local legal journal or newspaper ) suspend the lawyer (the lawyer cannot practice law for a specific time) disbar the lawyer (the lawyer loses his or her license to practice law), and/or.

What is a conflict of interest in law?

Conflicts of interest. Lawyers owe a duty of loyalty to their clients, which means they must act with the client’s best interests in mind. This includes avoiding situations that would create a conflict of interest—such as representing two clients on opposite sides of the same case or taking on a new client who wants to sue an existing client.

Do lawyers have to return a case if they haven't been paid?

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.

Can a lawyer return a client's file?

Not returning the client's documents. A client’s file is generally considered to be the property of the client. 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.

Can a lawyer face discipline?

Lawyers who don’t live up to their ethical obligations can face discipline from a state board. 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 ...

Who handles complaints about unethical attorney conduct?

The State Bar’s Office of Chief Trial Counsel handles complaints about unethical attorney conduct from several different sources, including clients, family and friends of clients, courts, opposing counsel, members of the public or other third parties, and anonymous submissions.

What does the state bar refer to when a criminal is suspected?

If criminal conduct is suspected, the State Bar may also refer the matter to a law enforcement agency for investigation and potential prosecution.

How to recover money from a lawyer?

If you lost money or property because a lawyer did something dishonest, you may be able to recover it by filing an application with the Client Security Fund. But first you need to file a complaint against the attorney.

What happens if the review determines that the alleged facts establish a violation?

If the review determines that the alleged facts establish a violation, the matter will be investigated. Complaints and investigations are confidential. If, after investigation, the evidence does not establish a serious violation, the State Bar may issue a warning to the lawyer.

Does the State Bar notify the complainant of receipt of a complaint?

With the exception of anonymous complaints, the State Bar notifies the complainant of receipt of the complaint. An experienced State Bar attorney will review the complaint to determine if the facts are sufficient to show that an ethical violation occurred. Additional documents from the complainant may be needed to complete this evaluation.

What do you need to show when suing an attorney for malpractice?

When suing an attorney for legal malpractice, you will need to show that the attorney did not use the ordinary amount of skill and care that most attorneys use in similar situations.

What happens if an attorney violates the law?

If the attorney violated proper ethics, you can file a grievance with the ethics committee of the state bar association, which ensures all attorneys are in good standing to renew their licenses. The attorney could be disbarred or directed to pay you compensation.

Can an attorney be disbarred?

The attorney could be disbarred or directed to pay you compensation. If you are disputing a fee with your lawyer, the state also likely has a fee dispute committee that can help you obtain an out-of-court resolution. You can hire another attorney to complete or fix your case and obtain the outcome you need.

What is breach of duty in a lawyer?

Breach of duty. This kind of malpractice happens when the lawyer violates his or her responsibilities to you by settling the case without your approval, not preparing the case for trial, lying to you, abandoning your case, misusing funds you provided for court costs, or misusing funds owed to you (such as a settlement amount). The attorney has not done what other attorneys would do in this type of case.

Can you sue a lawyer for negligence?

To sue lawyer for negligence, you need to be able to prove the attorney didn't use the proper care in your case and missed a deadline, filed the wrong papers, didn't comply with court orders, or made other errors that were not intentional but were sloppy.

How to win a lawsuit against an attorney for malpractice?

To win when you sue an attorney for malpractice, you need to show that: The attorney was supposed to do something. He or she didn't do it (or did it wrong) This resulted in a financial loss to you (losing the case or losing money)

What is malpractice in law?

Instead, malpractice is about an attorney's making mistakes that other attorneys would not have made.

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