“The important thing to remember is the engagement letter should be sent to a client on every single matter. It's not going to prevent an unhappy client from asserting a malpractice claim, but it can certainly help with the defense.”
The process of formal engagement when a lawyer decides to enter into an attorney-client relationship with a client is arguably one of the most important ways to minimize the risk of a malpractice claim. It is important to have proper documentation that confirms the lawyer and client mutually agree to the terms of engagement which should contain a detailed description of the scope and manner of representation and the agreed upon fees, among other things.
Podcast moderated by Melanie Romero, Associate Claim Counsel for Lawyers Professional Liability Claims, and featuring Bryan Jordan, Managing Director Lawyers Professional Liability Claims as key speaker.
A recording of this podcast will be added to the risk management page for Legal Professionals on Travelers Risk Control site.