legal malpractice
Lawyer's professional misconduct
Legal malpractice is professional negligence by an attorney that causes harm to a client.
It typically requires showing the lawyer owed a duty, breached the standard of care, and that breach caused damages: She sued her former attorney for legal malpractice after he missed the filing deadline.
Unlike simple dissatisfaction with an outcome, malpractice involves demonstrable failure to perform competently.
- self-dealingMisusing fiduciary position
- dishonestyDisposition toward falsehood
- conflict of interestCompromised impartiality from competing stakes
- misrepresentationFalse or misleading statement
- breach of dutyFailing an obligation owed
confidentiality breach · undue influence · betrayal of trust · incompetence · missed deadline · statute of limitations · coercion · intimidation tactics · bribery · obstruction of justice · negligence · disbarment · harassment · favoritism · discrimination · fiduciary duty
- lawsuitslawsuit, litigation, civil suit, suit, court case
- legal ethicsattorney-client privilege, professional conduct, privilege, code of ethics, pro bono
- malpracticeprofessional negligence, medical negligence, standard of care, duty of care, breach of duty
- negligenceneglect, gross negligence, criminal negligence, medical negligence, negligence
- tort lawtort, tort law, negligence, duty of care, breach of duty
- tortstort, negligence, tortfeasor, torts, tort law
legal, malpractice, lawfully, unlawfully, legality, legally, illegal, illegally, illegality