Common Mistakes in Pennsylvania Estate Matters This legal malpractice avoidance tip is short and simple. It covers three common mistakes that you can easily avoid in estate related matters. Sometimes all you need is a reminder. The Statute of Limitations for Will Contests is One Year If you’re hired to contest a will which has […]
Category Archives: Legal Malpractice
Attorney Patrick K. Gibson will present an “Ethics and Billing” live Webinar – on Tuesday February 27, 2018. This program is available for 2 hours of ethics CLE in various states, including Pennsylvania, Delaware, Texas, New Jersey, and New York. Join us as Attorney Gibson offers valuable insight on ethically balancing your time with your […]
On December 18, 2017 (Dover, DE) and December 20, 2017 (Wilmington, DE), attorney Patrick Gibson will be a part of a seminar program entitled ‘Legal Ethics: Attorney Fees and Client Funds’ for the National Business Institute. Mr. Gibson will be joined by attorney Benjamin Schwartz, and will discuss specifically: Ethics of Fee Arrangements Ethical Billing […]
This month’s appellate practice tip is primarily concerned with the conduct of your client’s case at the lower court. Since the appellate court can only consider the record as it was developed below, it is critical, and procedurally required, that you make sure any appealable issue is preserved in the record. Pa.R.A.P. 302 (a) states, […]
If You’re Sued Don’t defend yourself – you could void your malpractice coverage – instead, contact your carrier. Most carriers will permit you to file preliminary objections in Pennsylvania or A Motion to Dismiss in Delaware in order to avoid paying the deductible if the case against you has no merit or can be summarily […]
As part of your representation, you should properly retain client files or dispose of them through appropriate means. It is a good idea to establish firm-wide guidelines for file retention. As in other areas of firm practice, more experienced attorneys should set the example. Of course, the file retention policy should also be specifically provided […]
Sometimes I get calls from potential clients who wonder whether they can sue an attorney if they were not actually that attorney’s client, which raises an interesting question. Generally speaking, in order to maintain an action for legal malpractice, an attorney-client relationship is necessary. That’s the general rule, however, and there is an exception that […]
When clients ask me as an experienced Media Legal Malpractice Lawyer, what types of damages they can expect to recover in a malpractice action. Clients often think of pain and suffering – which one can generally get in personal injury actions based on physical injury; however, those types of damages are not recoverable in legal […]
Years of practicing in the area of professional malpractice have taught me as an experienced Media Legal Malpractice Lawyer, that clients don’t always have a written fee agreement with their attorneys, and that brings to mind an important question. Is a written attorney-client fee agreement necessary to establish an attorney-client relationship? The answer to that question is […]