| Any contingent
fee contract must be in writing and you have three (3) business days
to reconsider the contract. You may cancel the contract without any
reason if you notify your lawyer in writing within three (3) business
days of signing the contract. If you withdraw from the contract within
the first three (3) business days, you do not owe the lawyer a fee
although you may be responsible for the lawyer's actual costs during
that time. If your lawyer begins to represent you, your lawyer may
not withdraw from the case without giving you notice, delivering necessary
papers to you, and allowing you time to employ another lawyer. Often,
your lawyer must obtain court approval before withdrawing from a case.
If you discharge your lawyer without good cause after the three-day
period, you may have to pay a fee for work the lawyer has done. Before hiring a lawyer, you, the client, have the right to know about the lawyer's education, training, and experience. If you ask, the lawyer should tell you specifically about his or her actual experience dealing with cases similar to yours. If you ask, the lawyer should provide information about special training or knowledge and give you this information in writing if you request it. Before signing a contingent fee contract with you, a lawyer must advise you whether he or she intends to handle your case alone or whether other lawyers will be helping with the case. If your lawyer intends to refer the case to other lawyers he or she should tell you what kind of fee sharing arrangement will be made with the other lawyers. If lawyers from different law firms will represent you, at least one lawyer from each law firm must sign the contingent fee contract. If your lawyer intends to refer your case to another lawyer or counsel with other lawyers, your lawyer should tell you about that at the beginning. If your lawyer takes the case and later decides to refer it to another lawyer or to associate with other lawyers, you should sign a new contract which includes the new lawyers. You, the client, also have the right to consult with each lawyer working on your case and each lawyer is legally responsible to represent your interests and is legally responsible for the acts of the other lawyers involved in the case. |
||||
|
