Lawyer/client relationship Flashcards
Was ist von privilege/confidentiality geschützt?
Privilege: confidential communications (auch dem lawyer etwas zeigen!)
Confidentiality: all information relating to representatoin
Work product doctrine
Voraussetzung: prepared in anticipation of litigation (!)
Rechtsfolge:
a) opinion work (meist): discoverable ganz selten
b) ordinary work product: discoverable in nur civil, if substantial need & undue hardship
Malpractice limitation 1: arbitration clause
permitted as long as client is informed of the scope and effect of arbitration clause
Malpractice limitation 2: prospectively limiting liability
permitted when client is represented by independet lawyer
Malpractice limitation 3: after malpractdice
permitted when
1. client is advised in writing of desirability of seeking independet legal counsel
2. given reasonable opportunity to seek such advice
Confidentiality
May reveal, not must reveal in Ausnahmefällen
Incompetent lawyer
a) decline or withdraw from representation
b) become competent without unreasonable delay
c) associate with competent clausel
Ausn. emergency exception wenn zB dringend ein Strafverteidiger benötigt wird
Was darf lawyer bei client with diminished capacity
Take reasonable necessary protectice actions, wenn lawyer beliefs:
1. client has diminished capacity
2. is at risk of substantial harm unless action is taken (Bsp. auch verliert Prozess)
3. lawyer cannot adequately act in the clients own interest
Rechtsfolge: reveal confidential information ausnahmsweise allowed (Bsp. mit Verwandten besprehcen)
Safeguard property (auch Dinge!) in connection with representation of client (Achtung: deswegen nicht bei Sammeln für Weihnachtsgeschenk von mehreren Lawyern)
Pflicht 1: holding the property separate (auch Dinge)
Pflicht 2: keeping a complete accounting
Pflicht 3: promptly delivering to client or third party (!) when delivery is due (insb. bei third party undisputed claim, aber: Dritter hat kein Recht unmittelbar auf proceeds aus einem anderen Fall zuzugreifen ohne lien oder sonstiges legal right!)
Prohibition on counseling crimes or fraud
Schritt 1: may discuss legal consequences
Schritt 2: must avoid assisting & withdraw if clients course of action has already begun & is continuing
Rechtsfolge 2: may notify third persons and disaffirm opinions, documents (= noisy withdrawal) even if withdrawal would inferentially reveal clients confidential information
Lawyer muss Mandantendaten safekeepen
reasonable precautions to safeguard
Unterschied confidentiality/privilege am Beispiel whereabouts vom client
a) wenn “nur” confidential: evtl. disclosure nötig to comply with court order
b) aber wenn mitgeteilt wurde und privilege gilt: keine disclosure (unless waived by client)
Wann greift privilege?
- communications mae for the purpose of obtaining or providing legal assistance for client and
- inteded to be and kept confidential (Achtung: Grds. nicht wenn noch ein Dritter mithört, Ausn. reasonable belief dass der Dritte es nicht mitbekomt)
ACHTUNG: Reine Identität des clients nicht geschüzt von privilege!
Gründe may disclose confidential information
- Injury/death prevention
- fraud/crime prevention durch client (that is reasonably certain to result in substantial injury of another)
- conflict of interest screening
- law or court order
- authorized impliedly for representation
- informed consent
- mitigate financial injury rom crime
- ethical advice (von Menotr)
- defense on lawyers behalf (“self-defense”)
= IF CLAIMED
Unlawfully altering, destroying, concealing material with potential evidentiary value
prohibited, lawyer also prohibited from counseling or assisting another person
Ausn. as part of a reasonable and evenly applied document-retention policy
Conflicts between prospective clients
nach consultation mit einem prospective client lawyer is prohibited from representing another client with interests materially adverse to consulted client if
- same or substantially related matter
- lawyer received information from that could significantly harm the prospective (den ersten) client
Lawyer darf normale Dinge safekeepen (Bsp. Sache, die bald verkauft werden soll),
aber kein kriminellen Dinge, can’t keep it, hide it, alter it
(has to give to police, doesn’t need to say where it comes from)
Confidential disclosen innerhalb law firm?
erlaubt absent client instructions to the contrary!!
Lawyers duty of care owed to nonclient
Grds. keine
Ausn.
1. Inviting reliance exception (nonclient vertraut auf lawyer)
(1). lawyer or client invites nonclients reliance on lawyers opinion/services
(2.) nonclient relies
(3.). nonclient not too remote to be entitled for protection
- enforcing duty to client exception (client will nonclient helfen)
(1.) lawyer knows that client intends lawyers service to benefit nonclient
(2.) duty would not significantly impair lawyers duties to client
(3.) absence of duty would impair enforcement of lawyers duties to client - fiduciary duty owed by client (client schuldet nonclient hilfe)
(1.) lawyers client is nonclients fiduciary
(2.) action necessary to prevent/rectify clients breach of fiduciary duty
(3.) nonclient not reasonably able to protect own rights
(4.) duty would not significantly impair lawyers duties to client
Fälle an anderen Kollegen übertragen, weil man selbst krank ist?
Nein, unberechtigte disclosal of confidential information, wenn nicht vorher consent of clients (oder sonstiger AusnahmeTB)
Wann darf lawyer withdraw
a) wenn keine negativen Folgen für client: for any reason
b) if materially and adversely affect clients interest. for good resaon
Bsp. auch bei unreasonable financial burden on lawyer
Informationspflicht von settlement offers
Greift ausn. nicht, wenn client den lawyer vorher schon auf bestimmte Weise instruiert hat (“Lehn alles unter 1 Millionen ab”)
Lawyer asks somebody to refrain from voluntarily giving relevant info to opposing counsel?
Grds. lawyer may not ask
Ausn.
1. nonclient is relativ, employee or other agent of client and
2. lawyer reasonably believes that withholding the information will not adverseley affect the nonclient
Lawyer verschickt Dokumente an Gegenseite unautorisiert
implied authorization if harmless!
Lawyer verzögert Kommunikation mit eigenem Mandanten
nur erlaubt, wenn client likely to react imprudently (total aufgebracht), nicht wenn delay only serves someone elses interested (Bsp. lawyers eigenes interest für die eigene convenience)
Krimineller Mandant
- Schritt: lawyer may discuss consequences in good faith
- Schritt: lawyer must avoid assisting
- Schritt lawyer mus withdraw if conduct continues (noisy withdrawal)
Duty to decline ein Mandat
a) lawyers physical/mental/condition
b) representation would violate law
Pflichten bei Termination
âuch noch nachvertragliche Pflichten
aber auf der anderen Seite zB noch ZBR für unbeahlte Fees
Organisation violates law
- Schritt: ask organisation to comply
- Schritt: may rpeort to highest authority
- Schritt: may report to outside organisation
Client controls ends, lawyer means
P1: wer entscheidet über jury trial frage?
P2: wer entscheidet über testimony frage?
P1: in cirminal case client, in civil lawyer
P2: in cirminal case client, in civil lawyer
Lawyer knows that client will do perjury
- Schritt: good faith
- Schritt: must withdraw
- Schritt: disclose
Geschenk client an lawyer
lawyer cannot solicit substantial gift (also danach fragen) Prohibited unless related (Bsp. Familienrecht, lawyer darf Testament von Verwandtem schreiben, das ihn selbst begünstigt)
Unsolicited substantial gift annehmen aber OK! as long as meets general standards of fairness (Bsp. ungefragtes Abschiedsgeschenk nach 30 Jahren Berufsbeziehung)
Geschenk bzw. Geld lawyer an client
Grds. not!
Ausn.
1. Court costs
2. neu: indigent client on pro bono basis, modest gifts
Business deals zwischen client/lawyer
nur wenn:
1. terms fair & reasonable
2. disclosed in writing in manner that client understands it
3. client advised to seek other lawyers advice
4. client consents in writing
Can lawyer represent multiple clients?
Ja, wenn:
1. representation gleich effective
2. all clients consent
Client mit diminished capacity
Ja, darf guardian suchen, aber muss vorher prüfen, ob die Person, die er anruft “act adversely to the clients interest”, insb. wenn sich später rausstellt, dass diminished person z.B. eine schlechte Beziehung zu ihrer Mutter nur ncoh hatte
Lawyer enters contract with a third party (bsp. surveyor) on clients behalf as clients agent
- client is solely liable under the contract (primarily!)
- lawyer may also be liable:
a) clients existence was not disclosed to third party
b) third party is relying on lawyers crecdit
Confidentiality, wenn lawyer Bsp. in law school calse die Umstände eines Falls nennt ohne die Identität des clients zu nennen?
Verletzung von confidentiality, wenn Beschreibung “reasonably lead to the discovery of protected info”
