What if you suspect your attorney is holding back more of your settlement than they quoted to you?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
What if you suspect your attorney is holding back more of your settlement than they quoted to you?
Asked on February 5, 2013 under Accident Law, Maryland
Answers:
Paula McGill / Paula J. McGill, Attorney at Law
Answered 11 years ago | Contributor
The simple thing to do is to demand a copy of the settlement check. This will tell you how much was paid. The second thing is to demand a breakout of how the proceeds were distributed. This should be much faster than dealing with the Maryland Attorney Grievance Commission (the "Commission"), espcially if you tell the attorney if a breakout is not provided withing 10 days you intend to file the grievance. This proclamation will get results faster than anything else.
Also licensed and practicing in Maryland.
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 11 years ago | Contributor
First, contact your state Bar Association: many state bar associations will help resolve monetary disputes between attorneys and their clients. If that does not satisfactorily resolve the situation, you could sue your attorney to recover any amounts which he should have turned over to you but did not; an attorney is only entitled to keep that amount of the settlement which you had, in engaging his representation, specifically agreed to pay him. The agreement (whether written or oral/verbal) between you and your attorney as to his representation of you is as enforceable as any other contract.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.