Pace
University School of Law
February 4,
2006
Kathleen Donelli, Esq.*
McCarthy
Fingar LLP
11 Martine
Avenue
White Plains,
New York 10606
I. Retainer
Agreements and Fee Disputes
Background
Wife
("W") and Patricia Partner ("P") signed a Retainer Agreement
on December 10, 2004 (Exhibit A). By letter dated December 15, 2004, P
notified W's husband ("H") that her firm had been retained to resolve
Wife's matrimonial dispute with H and asked that H have his attorney contact P
on or before January 6, 2005. On January
6, 2005, H called P and told her that he and W had reconciled. P immediately called W who told P that she
was reconsidering her decision to get divorced. W told P she would call her in a few weeks. Wife received an invoice for legal fees dated
February 15, 2005 (Exhibit B).
While
in family court, W told A that H controlled all of their money and she was
afraid that if she obtained a temporary order of protection directing H to
"stay away" from W and the marital residence, H would stop paying the
household bills. A told W that if W
commenced a divorce action in Supreme Court, W immediately could seek an order
directing H to maintain the parties' "financial status quo" pending
the resolution of their divorce action.
After
obtaining the temporary order of protection ("TOP") in family court
on June 15, 2005, W and A returned to the law office and met with P for 3
hours, during which time they started drafting documents so W could obtain
temporary support. A also arranged to
have a process server serve the TOP upon the H at his job. On June 17, 2005, W returned to the office
to sign her Statement of Net Worth and affidavit in support of her pendente lite motion.
On
June 20, 2005, after A submitted the Order To Show Cause to the supreme court,
W left a telephone message for P explaining that she and H had celebrated
Father's Day together on June 19, 2005 and W had changed her mind about
obtaining a divorce. When P returned
W's call, P told W that she should wait a few days before making a decision to
permit H back into the marital residence.
On
June 21, 2005, H's attorney called A to discuss the family court case but did
not tell A that W was considering a reconciliation. A drafted a Stipulation transferring the family court offense
proceeding to the Supreme Court divorce action. When A called W to discuss her conversation with H's attorney, W
angrily told A that the day before, W had notified P that she was reconciling
with H and wanted to stop all of the court proceedings.
On
June 22, 2005, W called P to discuss her legal fees and to confirm that she did
not want to divorce her H.
After
W received her July 10, 2005 billing statement (Exhibit B), she called P complaining about her legal fees and
demanding the return of her $7,500 retainer.
P told W that she would not refund the unbilled balance of W's retainer
because $7,500 was a minimum fee.
QUESTIONS
During
the fee dispute arbitration between W and the firm, the following issues were
raised:
1. W refused to pay for the time charged
on the family court offense proceeding because there was no retainer agreement.
2. W refused to pay P's hourly rate of
$375 even though P had notified W in writing that as of March 1, 2005, her
hourly rate would increase from $350 to $375.
3. Wife refused to pay for P's telephone
call from H on January 6, 2005.
4. Wife claimed that P had promised her
that the maximum cost for W's divorce would be $7,500.
5.a. Wife refused to pay A's expenses for
traveling to family court.
b. Wife
refused to send a payment directly to the process server for serving the TOP.
c. Wife
refused to pay the expense for the family court transcript.
6. W claimed that P should refund her
$7,500 because P did not send billing statements to W at least once every 60
days.
7. Could P have charged W interest on
unpaid legal fees?
8. W refused to pay for her call to P
complaining about her legal fees.
9. P claimed that her firm did not have to
refund to Wife the unused balance of W's $7,500 retainer because it was a
"minimum fee."
10. Assuming W had proceeded with her
divorce action, would the firm be required to appeal the Supreme Court's decision
denying W maintenance?
11. W refused to pay for A's time, claiming
she retained P, not A.
12. Could the firm have stopped representing
W in the family court proceeding if W refused to pay?
13. Could the firm seek a charging lien for
Wife to pay her outstanding legal fees from her award of child support arrears?
14a. Does the firm have the right to compel W to
arbitrate their fee dispute?
b. Does
W or P have the right to seek a de novo
trial after the arbitrator's award?
15. H files a grievance against P & A for
lying when they included in the family court petition that H was in a drunken
rage and violently pushed his W out of the front door of the marital
residence. Can P submit W's affidavit
supporting W's request for an order of protection?
EXHIBIT
D FEE
DISPUTE ARBITRATION:
Part 137 of the Rules of the Chief Administrator
A. APPLICATION
Applies
to all attorneys retained in a civil matter on or after January 1, 2002 for fee disputes from $1,000 to $50,000 "except that an
arbitral body may hear disputes involving other amounts if the parties have
consented." §137.1(b)(2). All attorneys are required to participate
and if they fail to do so without good cause, should be referred to the
grievance committee." §137.11
Applies to Domestic Matters and
replaces Part 136: Fee Arbitration in
Domestic Matters, which shall only apply to fee disputes in domestic matters
where representation began prior to January 1, 2002.
Does not apply
to:
·
"claims involving substantial legal questions,
including professional malpractice or misconduct." §137.1(b)(3);
·
personal injury action because under §137(1)(b)(5) the fees in such disputes are
determined pursuant to Judiciary Law §474-a.
·
"disputes where no attorney services have been
rendered for more than two years" §137.1(b)(6);
·
criminal matters.
B. REQUIRING CLIENT TO SUBMIT TO
ARBITRATION
The Client Always Has the Right
To Fee Dispute Arbitration; The Attorney Only Has The Right To Fee Dispute
Arbitration With The Client's Prior Written Consent.
Under
§137.2(a), arbitration of
disputed paid and/or unpaid legal fees is mandatory if requested by the Client.
However, the Client does not have to participate in an arbitration requested by
the attorney unless the attorney has obtained the Client's advance written
consent "in a retainer agreement or other writing that specifies that the
client has read the official written instructions and procedures for Part 137,
and that the client agrees to resolve fee disputes under this Part." §137.2(b).
Section
6.B.1 of the Board of Governors' Standards and Guidelines (the "Board's
Standards") states that the client's consent must be knowing and
informed. The client's consent under §137.2(b) shall be stated in a retainer
agreement or other writing specifying that the client has read the official
written instructions and procedures for the local program designated to hear
fee disputes between the attorney and client, and that the client consents to
resolve fee disputes under Part 137.
Attached
to the Corrected Retainer Agreement (Exhibit C) is UCS 137-13(11/01)
"Consent To Resolve Fee Disputes By Arbitration Pursuant To Part 137.2(b)
of the Rules of the Chief Administrator."
C. OPTING OUT OF TRIAL DE NOVO
The Client And Attorney Are
Entitled To Commence A Trial De Novo, Within 30 Days After The Arbitration
Award Is Mailed, Unless The Attorney Obtains The Client's Prior Written Consent
That The Arbitration Award Will Be Final and Binding "In a Form Prescribed
By The Board of Governors."
The
De Novo Review procedure is set forth in §137.8
(Exhibit D).
Under
§137.8 of the new Fee
Dispute Resolution Program, either party is entitled to a de novo review of the
arbitration award if an action is commenced "within 30 days after the
arbitration award has been mailed."
Under
§136.8 of the Fee
Arbitration in Domestic Matters, the standard of review for an arbitration
award was set forth in CPLR §7511,
which basically requires a showing of corruption, fraud or misconduct to vacate
an arbitration award or a "miscalculation of figures" or
"mistake in the description of any person, thing or property referred to
in the award" to modify an arbitration award. CPLR §7511.
However,
under §137.2(c),
which applies to matrimonial attorneys retained on or after January 1, 2002,
the client and attorney are entitled to a de novo review unless the attorney
makes the fee arbitration award "final and binding" with a client's
prior written consent "in a form prescribed by the Board of
Governors." (Ex. A at 3).
Section
6.B.2 of the Board's Standards states that in addition to complying with
Section 6.B.1 of the Board's Standards, "the retainer agreement or other
writing shall also state that the client understands that he or she is waiving
the right to reject an arbitration award and subsequently commence a trial de
novo in court." Ex. B at 4.
Attached
to the Corrected Retainer (Exhibit D) is UCS 137-14(11/01) Form
"Consent To Submit Fee Dispute To Arbitration Pursuant To Part 137.2(c) of
the Rules of the Chief Administrator and to Waive Right To Trial De Novo."
EXHIBIT E WRITTEN
LETTERS OF ENGAGEMENT IN CIVIL AND CRIMINAL MATTERS
WITH FEES OF $3,000 OR MORE:
Part
1215 to Title 22 of the Official Compilations of Codes, Rules and
Regulations
of the State of New York
A. APPLICATION
Effective March 4, 2002, all attorneys must have a written letter of
engagement before commencing representation OR within a reasonable time after
commencing representation of a client if it is impracticable at the time of
commencement or if the scope of services cannot be determined at the time of
the commencement of representation.
For purposes of Part 1215, where an
entity (such as an insurance carrier) engages an attorney to represent a third
party, the term "client" shall mean the entity that engages the
attorney.
Where there is a significant change
in the scope of services or the fee to be charged, an "updated letter of
engagement" must be given to the client.
Part 1215 does not apply:
· if
legal fees are expected to be less than $3,000
· where
the attorney's services "are of the same general kind as previously
rendered to and paid for by the client" [i.e., regularly existing
clients]; or
· to
domestic relations matters which are still subject to Part 1400 of the Joint
Rules of the Appellate Division.
B. CONTENTS OF LETTERS
OF ENGAGEMENT
Letters
of Engagement Must
Include:
(1) scope of legal services;
(2) attorney's fees to be charged, expenses and
billing practices; and
(3) where applicable, notice of the client's right to arbitration of
fee disputes under Part 137.
Letters of Engagement May Include:
·
Under §137.1(b)(2),
an attorney may make fee arbitration apply to disputed amounts less than $1,000
or more than $50,000 "if the parties have consented. ..." Without the client's consent, fee
arbitration does not apply to sums less than $1,000 or more than $50,000.
·
Under §137.2(b),
Ex. A, an attorney may make fee arbitration mandatory for the client by
obtaining the client's written consent in "a retainer agreement or other
writing..." If not included in the
retainer agreement, fee dispute arbitration commenced by a client is mandatory
for the attorney but is not mandatory for the client if commenced by the
attorney.
·
Under §137.2(c),
an attorney can make the arbitration award final, instead of subject to a de
novo review, by obtaining the client's written consent.
·
Under §137.2(d), an
attorney can select a different arbitral forum for fee dispute arbitration, by
obtaining the client's written consent.
EXHIBIT F RETAINER AGREEMENTS IN DOMESTIC
RELATIONS MATTERS:
Part
1400 of the Joint Rules of the Appellate Division (22 NYCRR 1400)
Effective as of November 30, 1993,
attorneys in domestic relations matters MUST:
·
give prospective clients a statement of clients
rights and responsibilities under §1400.2;
·
have a written retainer agreement complying with the
conditions and containing the information set forth in §1400.3;
·
if the attorney wants to charge a "minimum
fee", this provision must be included in the retainer agreement under §1400.4; and
·
if the attorney wants the option of seeking a
security interest for unpaid legal fees, this provision must be included in the
retainer agreement under §1400.5.
Under DR 2-106(C)(2), attorneys must
have a written retainer agreement in domestic relations matters.
Under §202.16(c) of the Uniform Rules for the New York
State Trial Courts, a signed copy of the retainer agreement must be attached to
the Statement of Net Worth that under §202.16(f)
is to be filed with the court 10 days prior to the preliminary conference which
is to be held within 45 days after the matrimonial action has been assigned to
a judge.
FAILURE TO OBTAIN A RETAINER
AGREEMENT IN DOMESTIC RELATIONS MATTERS BARS AN ATTORNEY FROM COLLECTING LEGAL
FEES
Bishop v. Bishop, 743
N.Y.S.2d 724 2002 N.Y. App. Div. LEXIS 5976 (2d Dep't 2002):
It
is well settled that a "[matrimonial] attorney is precluded from seeking
fees from his or her client where the attorney has failed to comply with 22
NYCRR 1400.3, which requires the execution and filing of a retainer agreement
that sets forth, inter alia, the terms of compensation and the nature of
services to be rendered." (Mulcahy
v. Mulcahy, 285 A.D.2d 587, 588, 728 N.Y.S.2d 90; see Kayden v. Kayden,
278 A.D.2d 202, 717 N.Y.S.2d 908; Potruch v. Berson, 261 A.D.2d 494, 688
N.Y.S.2d 897). Likewise, an attorney's
failure to provide a prospective client with a statement of rights and
obligations will also preclude collection of a fee (see Hunt v. Hunt,
273 A.D.2d 875, 876 , 709 N.Y.S.2d 744), as will the attorney's failure to
provide itemized bills at least every 60 days (see Julien v. Machson,
245 A.D.2d 122, 666 N.Y.S.2d 147; Kaplowitz v. Newman, 185 Misc.2d 205,
206, 713 N.Y.S.2d 115). The failue to
abide {**3] by these rules,
"'promulgated to address abuses in the practice of matrimonial law and to
protect the public,'" will result in preclusion from recovering such legal
fees (Mulcahy v. Mulcahy, supra at 588, quoting Julien v.
Machson, supra).
Settembrini v. Settembrini,
Unpublished, Hon. Fred Shapiro (N.Y. Sup. Ct. August 19, 2002)
Attorney
sought unpaid legal fees from client he represented in a matrimonial
matter. Attorney represented client in
prior estate and tax matters but did not ask the client to sign a retainer
agreement. Attorney also
did not ask client to sign a written retainer agreement until after beginning
representation in the matrimonial action. Attorney was allowed to recover fees earned
subsequent to the time he provided the client with a Statement of Client’s
Rights and Responsibilities and executed a retainer agreement for the
matrimonial action, because there was substantial compliance with the
matrimonial rules, which is a prerequisite to recovering unpaid legal
fees. The court
disallowed fees of over $20,000 for work attorney completed prior to the date
client signed the written retainer agreement.
A. AN ATTORNEY CAN CHARGE FOR AN
INITIAL CONSULTATION WITHOUT A RETAINER AGREEMENT BUT MUST HAVE A SIGNED
STATEMENT OF CLIENT’S RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES
NYSBA Opinion 685 3/19/97
Prospective clients in
matrimonial matters must be provided with the Statement of Client’s Rights and
Responsibilities, but need not be asked to sign retainer agreements, at
consultations that occur before the attorney has agreed to undertake the
representation. An attorney can charge
the client for the initial consultation so long as he or she provides the
client with a clear understanding of the cost of the consultation and the method
by which it will be calculated.
B. MAY NEED A NEW RETAINER AGREEMENT WHEN PARTNER CHANGES
LAW FIRMS
Esanu
Katsky Korins & Siger, LLP v. Stoessinger, N.Y.L.J. 9/20/01
at 17 (Civil Ct. N.Y. Co. September 2001)
Attorney was retained in June 1993, prior to the November 30, 1993
effective date of 22 NYCRR 1400 et seq. and Part 136.5(c) (the
"Matrimonial Rules") and continued to represent the client when he
changed law firms in 1995. The court
denied his claim for legal fees in the amount of $17,613.61 incurred while at
his former law firm, reasoning that the client had retained the attorney's
former law firm and without evidence of an assignment of rights from his former
law firm, the attorney lacked standing to pursue a claim for legal fees owed to
his former law firm.
The court then denied his claim for legal fees in the approximate
amount of $53,000 incurred while at his current law firm because the attorney
failed to obtain a written retainer from the client after he changed law firms
in 1995. Citing
Flanagan v. Flanagan, 267 A.D.2d 80 (1st Dep't 1999) and Julien v.
Machson, 245 A.D.2d 122 (1st Dep't 1997), the court reasoned that the
attorney was not entitled to recover attorneys fees incurred at his new law
firm because he had not substantially complied with the Matrimonial Rules.
Lesson: Get a written
assignment of rights and a new retainer letter for each active client when
changing law firms.
Koeth
v. Koeth, 2002 NY Slip Op 40046U (Sup. Ct. Nassau Co. 2002)
Attorney
sought enforcement of his charging lien.
A retainer agreement had been executed between the attorney’s law firm
and his client in 1995 in compliance with 22 NYCRR 1400.3 and client received a
Statement of Client’s Rights and Responsibilities in compliance with 22 NYCRR
1400.2. Attorney left
his law firm several months later and continued to represent client in her
matrimonial action without executing a new retainer agreement or tendering a
Statement of Client’s Rights and Responsibilities. The court held that the attorney was entitled to the fees earned
after leaving his law firm. Client-defendant cited in support of its
position Potruch v. Berson, (Supreme Ct., Nassau Co. Index
No.29881/1997) [aff’d, 261 A.D.2d 494; 688 N.Y.S.2d 897 (2d 1999)], in which
the plaintiff-attorney was denied legal fees for failing to comply with 22
NYCRR 1400.
The court distinguished Potruch from this case. In Potruch, the retainer agreement
was signed between the law firm and the client before the attorney seeking the
fees became affiliated with the firm. The attorney in Koeth, however, was employed at the firm
at the time of the execution of the retainer agreement, which was executed on
firm letterhead on which the attorney’s name was printed as a “name”
partner. The attorney in Potruch
transferred to second and third firms as well, and still no retainer was
executed. In Koeth,
the court found that the attorney’s second firm adopted the retainer of the
former firm and that the attorney, in two subsequent motions filed on behalf of
client, also adopted the original retainer agreement. In addition, the attorney sent out all bills
to the client on his letterhead.
Finally,
and most compelling, is that the client, on three occasions, ratified the
original retainer agreement in her motions to the court and acknowledged her
awareness of the status of the legal fees paid on account. The court, in allowing the fees, stated that
the attorney’s conduct did not violate the “spirit and purpose” of the rules.
Distinguished: Esanu may
be distinguished from Koeth, because in Esanu, the client never
signed a Retainer Agreement, while in Koeth, the client signed a
Retainer Agreement with the first firm.
SERVICES CHANGES
Hunt
v. Hunt, 273 A.D.2d 875, 709 N.Y.S.2d 744 (4th Dep't 2000).
The
Wife's motion papers were stricken due to her attorney's failure to file the
requisite certifications pursuant to 22 NYCRR 202.16(e) and 130.1.1a.
Wife's
attorney was not entitled to attorney's fees because the attorney also violated
the Matrimonial Rules by not providing a statement of client's rights and
responsibilities and a written retainer agreement. The court rejected the
attorney's argument that the Matrimonial Rules did not apply because the
attorney was retained before November 30, 1993, reasoning that the "motion
brought by plaintiff was a new 'claim' within the meaning of 22 NYCRR
1400.1."
Lesson: Get a Statement of
Clients Rights and Responsibilities, as well as a written retainer agreement,
when representing a client on what a court might determine to be a new
"claim" or a "substantial" change in the scope of legal
services.