Can I Sue a Lawyer for Stealing Settlement Funds?
In Texas, lawyers often negotiate settlements for business or personal injury clients. Careful negotiation requires a full understanding of the facts and the value of a client’s losses. Once the client approves of a settlement, the defendant should send the check to your attorney, who can make deductions for various expenses, as well as for their fee.
Unfortunately, some dishonest lawyers take more than they are entitled to, and they might even steal the entire settlement. Contact The Pierce Law Firm if you have questions about whether you can sue your lawyer.
Red Flags Your Lawyer Has Stolen Funds
Some lawyers will abscond with funds or simply refuse to return your calls. But other lawyers use questionable accounting practices or make dubious deductions which leave you with a smaller settlement than you are entitled to.
How do you know if your lawyer has stolen from you? Some flags to watch for include:
- Lack of any fee agreement laying out what deductions a lawyer can make for fees and costs;
- Unexplained or questionable deductions from the settlement proceeds;
- Refusal to provide written documentation about the settlement;
- Failure to answer questions regarding the settlement or providing evasive answers;
- Deducting a larger fee than is specified in a free agreement.
Most legitimate deductions should cover the lawyer’s fee, which might be a contingency fee (a percentage based on the size of the settlement). Other fees include those related to expert witnesses or filing fees. If a health insurer has a right to payment out of the settlement, then your lawyer should reimburse those expenses before sending you a check.
Contact our office if you are confused about the entire process. Your attorney might have told you that the settlement was $500,000 at first but now claims it is only $200,000. Or you might not understand why your lawyer is making deductions from the settlement amount.
A lawyer cannot steal funds from a client. This is an obvious ethical violation which can lead to a disciplinary hearing. It is also a crime. A lawyer who is willing to steal from one client will likely steal again, so it is important to speak up. Let The Pierce Law Firm amplify your voice as you seek accountability.
Our firm has the experience to bring a legal malpractice claim for the breach of a lawyer’s duties to clients. Let us investigate to see whether your lawyer has stolen funds from you. We can then begin compiling evidence in support of a malpractice claim.
Speak with a Houston Legal Malpractice Lawyer Today
Lawyers owe the highest ethical responsibilities to clients, but too many lawyers breach those duties. Reach out to our office to talk with a Houston legal malpractice lawyer to discuss any questions or concerns. We can also identify what evidence is useful for judging whether your lawyer stole funds from you. For example, we usually want to see any client files as well as communications, including letters and emails, as well as bank records. Contact us today; our consultations are free.