Statement of Clients’ Rights

  1. You are entitled to be treated with courtesy and consideration at all times by your lawyer and the other lawyers and nonlawyer personnel in your lawyer’s office.
  2. You are entitled to have your attorney handle your legal matter competently and diligently, in accordance with the highest standards of the profession. If you are not satisfied with how your case is being handled, you have the right to discharge your attorney and terminate the attorney-client relationship at any time. (Court approval may be required in some matters, and your attorney may have a claim against you for the value of services rendered to you up to the point of discharge.)
  3. You are entitled to your lawyer’s independent professional judgment and undivided loyalty uncompromised by conflicts of interest.
  4. You are entitled to be charged reasonable fees and expenses and to have your lawyer explain before or within a reasonable time after commencement of the representation how the fees and expenses will be computed and the manner and frequency of billing. You are entitled to request and receive a written itemized bill from your attorney at reasonable intervals. You may refuse to enter into any arrangement for fees and expenses that you find unsatisfactory. In the event of a fee dispute, you may have the right to seek arbitration; your attorney will provide you with the necessary information regarding arbitration in the event of a fee dispute or upon your request.
  5. You are entitled to have your questions and concerns addressed promptly and to receive a prompt reply to your letters, telephone calls, emails, faxes, and other communications.
  6. You are entitled to be kept reasonably informed as to the status of your matter. You are entitled to have your attorney promptly comply with your reasonable requests for information, including your requests for copies of papers relevant to the case. You are entitled to sufficient information to allow you to participate meaningfully in the development of your matter and make informed decisions regarding the representation.
  7. You are entitled to have your legitimate objectives respected by your attorney. In particular, the decision of whether to settle your matter is yours and not your lawyer’s. (Court approval of a settlement is required in some situations.)
  8. You have the right to privacy in your communications with your lawyer and to have your confidential information preserved by your lawyer to the extent required by law.
  9. You are entitled to have your attorney conduct themselves ethically in accordance with the New York Rules of Professional Conduct.
  10. You may not be refused representation on the basis of race, creed, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, national origin, or disability.

Statement of Client’s Responsibilities

Reciprocal trust, courtesy, and respect are the hallmarks of the attorney-client relationship. The client looks to the attorney for expertise, education, sound judgment, protection, advocacy, and representation within that relationship. These expectations can be achieved only if the client fulfills the following responsibilities:

  1. The client is expected to treat the lawyer and the lawyer’s staff with courtesy and consideration.
  2. The client’s relationship with the lawyer must be one of complete candor. The lawyer must be apprised of all facts or circumstances of the matter being handled by the lawyer, even if the client believes that those facts may be detrimental to the client’s cause or unflattering to the client.
  3. The client must honor the fee arrangement as agreed to with the lawyer in accordance with the law.
  4. All bills for services rendered that are tendered to the client pursuant to the agreed-upon fee arrangement should be paid promptly.
  5. The client may withdraw from the attorney-client relationship, subject to financial commitments under the agreed-to-fee arrangement and, in certain circumstances, subject to court approval.
  6. Although the client should expect that their correspondence, telephone calls, and other communications will be answered within a reasonable time frame, the client should recognize that the lawyer has other clients equally demanding of the lawyer’s time and attention.
  7. The client should maintain contact with the lawyer, promptly notify the lawyer of any change in telephone number or address and respond promptly to a request by the lawyer for information and cooperation.
  8. The client must realize that the lawyer needs to respect only the client’s legitimate objectives and that the lawyer will not advocate or propose positions that are unprofessional or contrary to law or the Lawyer’s Code of Professional responsibility.
  9. The lawyer may be unable to accept a case if the lawyer has previous professional commitments, which will result in inadequate time being available for the proper representation of a new client.
  10. A lawyer is under no obligation to accept a client if the lawyer determines that the client’s cause is without merit, a conflict of interest would exist or that a suitable working relationship with the client is not likely.

Payment & Forms

How Can We Help You?