Ethics and Professional Conduct
This chapter generally addresses the oversight of attorneys and law practice, accountability for professional responsibility, and liability for professional malpractice in Texas, with emphasis on guardianship practice. Probate attorneys practicing in the area of guardianship must address possible competing interests between the guardian and the ward. By studying the ethical standards to which attorneys must adhere, the attorney may understand and help the client understand how to address these concerns.
II. The Profession and Its Regulation
The State Bar of Texas is an administrative agency of the judicial department. Tex. Gov’t Code § 81.011(a). The Supreme Court of Texas exercises administrative control over the bar, Tex. Gov’t Code § 81.011(c), and has the power to make rules for the administration of the bar and the discipline of state bar members. Tex. Gov’t Code § 81.024. Disciplinary jurisdiction is divided into grievance districts. Grievance committees in each district investigate any alleged ground for discipline of an attorney and take action appropriate under the disciplinary rules. Tex. Gov’t Code § 81.072.
Rules governing the State Bar were initially adopted by the members of the State Bar of Texas and thereafter promulgated by the Supreme Court of Texas on February 22, 1940, and subsequently amended several times. The rules are located in volume 3B of the Texas Government Code in title 2, subtitle G, appendix A, and may also be found in Texas Rules of Court—State (West 2022). Article X deals with discipline and suspension of attorneys; its contents, entitled the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct, are discussed at section 1.5 below.
§ 1.4Texas Rules of Disciplinary Procedure
The Texas Rules of Disciplinary Procedure are located in volume 3B of the Texas Government Code in title 2, subtitle G, appendix A-1, and at www.legalethicstexas.com/Ethics-Resources/Rules/Texas-Rules-of-Disciplinary-Procedure.aspx. The rules provide these sanctions for professional misconduct: disbarment; resignation in lieu of discipline; indefinite disability suspension; suspension for a term certain; probation of suspension, in which probation may be concurrent with the period of suspension, on reasonable terms appropriate under the circumstances; interim suspension; public reprimand; and private reprimand. See Tex. Rules Disciplinary P. R. 1.06FF, reprinted in Tex. Gov’t Code Ann., tit. 2, subtit. G, app. A-1.
The term sanction may also include a requirement of restitution and the payment of reasonable attorney’s fees and direct expenses. Tex. Rules Disciplinary P. R. 1.06FF.
§ 1.5Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct
The Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct are located in volume 3B of the Texas Government Code in title 2, subtitle G, appendix A, article X, section 9, following section 84.004 of the Government Code. The rules are also available at www.legalethicstexas.com/Ethics-Resources/Rules/Texas-Disciplinary-Rules-of-Professional-Conduct.aspx. The disciplinary rules are all mandatory. The aspirational goals are grouped in the preamble rather than intermingled with mandatory rules within the body of the Code. Substantial commentary after each rule provides historical background and interpretational guidance.
Judicial decisions in Texas regarding ethical violations are referenced in the annotations to the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct.
A member of the State Bar of Texas can request a formal ethics opinion from the Professional Ethics Committee. To request an opinion, the member must submit a written request that includes (1) a summary of the background facts in the hypothetical situation; (2) the question(s) presented; (3) a discussion of applicable authority, including the specific disciplinary rules involved and relevant case law, prior opinions, or opinions from other jurisdictions; and (4) a statement that any questions presented are not in litigation. The request should be submitted to the designated person within the office of the chief disciplinary counsel. The ethics opinions issued by the Professional Ethics Committee provide interpretations of the rules and the Texas Code of Professional Responsibility (the predecessor to the rules). These ethics opinions are published in the Texas Bar Journal and are available at www.legalethicstexas.com/Ethics-Resources/Opinions.aspx.
Informal explanations of the rules may be obtained by calling the office of the chief disciplinary counsel of the State Bar. A consultation with a staff member of the disciplinary counsel’s office may be not only informative but also probative of good faith should a question later arise. The telephone number of the attorney ethics line is 1-800-532-3947.
Adopted by the Texas Supreme Court and Texas Court of Appeals in 1989, the Texas Lawyer’s Creed is a mandate to the legal profession that goes beyond disciplinary rules and standards. The Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct are cast in terms of “shall” and “shall not” and are merely a minimum standard of professional conduct. The Texas Lawyer’ Creed recognizes that professionalism requires more than mere compliance with these imperatives. The Creed addresses an attorney’s most important relationships in his practice of law: the attorney and our legal system, the attorney and client, the attorney and other lawyers, and the attorney and judge.
The Creed requires an attorney to advise clients of the contents of the Creed when undertaking representation. The full text of the Texas Lawyer’s Creed can be found at www.legalethicstexas.com/Ethics-Resources/Rules/Texas-Lawyer-s-Creed and in Texas Rules of Court—State (West 2022).
§ 1.7Texas Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility for Paralegals
The Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility adopted by the board of directors of the Paralegal Division of the State Bar of Texas can be found at https://txpd.org.
§ 1.8American Bar Association’s Model Rules of Professional Conduct
The text of the Model Rules, approved by the American Bar Association House of Delegates, can be found at www.americanbar.org/groups/professional_responsibility/publications/model_rules_of_professional_conduct/model_rules_of_professional_conduct_table_of_contents.html.
Unfortunately, neither the Model Rules of Professional Conduct (MRPC) nor the official comments to them are designed to specifically address all of the professional responsibilities of lawyers engaged in trusts and estates practices. The MRPC and its official comments primarily address areas of practice that are more clearly adversarial, and the situations encountered when dealing with families in an estate planning or disability planning setting typically do not fit into this category.
Recognizing the need to fill this gap, the American College of Trusts and Estates Counsel (ACTEC) has developed commentaries on selected rules to provide much-needed guidance.
Although the commentaries refer specifically to the MRPC, their content is also usually applicable to the Code of Professional Responsibility, which remains in effect in some states and, like the MRPC, does not provide sufficient guidance to trusts and estates lawyers. The commentaries generally seek to identify various ways in which common problems can be dealt with, without expressly mandating or prohibiting particular conduct by trusts and estates lawyers.
The ACTEC Commentaries may be found online at http://actecfoundation.org/trust-and-estate-professional-resources/professional-conduct-rules-for-trust-and-estate-practitioners/.
[Section 1.10 is reserved for expansion.]
III. Professional Responsibility
§ 1.11:1Definitions and Sanctions
Professional misconduct that subjects an attorney to disciplinary action includes violation of a disciplinary rule and violation of the barratry statute. Tex. Penal Code § 38.12.
On proof of conviction of a felony involving moral turpitude or of a misdemeanor involving theft, embezzlement, or fraudulent misappropriation of money or property, suspension pending appeal is mandatory. An attorney who receives probation will be suspended rather than disbarred. Tex. Gov’t Code § 81.078(b). On proof of final conviction, the attorney will be disbarred. Tex. Gov’t Code § 81.078(c); see also Tex. Rules Disciplinary P. R. 8.05.
Moral turpitude is inherently immoral conduct that is willful, flagrant, or shameless and that shows a moral indifference to the opinion of the good and respectable members of the community. Searcy v. State Bar of Texas, 604 S.W.2d 256, 258 (Tex. App.—San Antonio 1980, writ ref’d n.r.e.).
The term misconduct is defined in both the Texas Rules of Disciplinary Procedure and the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct. Tex. Rules Disciplinary P. R. 1.06CC states that professional misconduct includes—
1.acts or omissions by an attorney, individually or in concert with another person or persons, that violate one or more of the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct;
2.attorney conduct that occurs in another state or in the District of Columbia and results in the disciplining of an attorney in that other jurisdiction, if the conduct is professional misconduct under the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct;
3.violation of any disciplinary or disability order or judgment;
4.engaging in conduct that constitutes barratry as defined by Texas law;
5.failure to comply with section 13.01 of the Texas Rules of Disciplinary Procedure relating to notification of an attorney’s cessation of practice;
6.engaging in the practice of law either during a period of suspension or when on inactive status;
7.conviction of a serious crime or being placed on probation for a serious crime with or without an adjudication of guilt (“Serious crime” means barratry; any felony involving moral turpitude; any misdemeanor involving theft, embezzlement, or fraudulent or reckless misappropriation of money or other property; or any attempt, conspiracy, or solicitation of another to commit any of these crimes. Tex. Rules Disciplinary P. R. 1.06GG); and
8.conviction of an intentional crime or being placed on probation for an intentional crime with or without an adjudication of guilt (“Intentional crime” means any serious crime that requires proof of knowledge or intent as an essential element or any crime involving misapplication of money or other property held as a fiduciary. Tex. Rules Disciplinary P. R. 1.06V).
Tex. Rules Disciplinary P. R. 1.06CC.
Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 8.04(a), reprinted in Tex. Gov’t Code Ann., tit. 2, subtit. G, app. A (Tex. State Bar R. art. X, § 9), states that an attorney shall not—
1.violate the disciplinary rules, knowingly assist or induce another to do so, or do so through the acts of another, whether or not the violation occurred in the course of an attorney-client relationship;
2.commit a serious crime or commit any other criminal act that reflects adversely on the attorney’s honesty, trustworthiness, or fitness as an attorney in other respects (“Serious crime” means barratry; any felony involving moral turpitude; any misdemeanor involving theft, embezzlement, or fraudulent or reckless misappropriation of money or other property; or any attempt, conspiracy, or solicitation of another to commit any of these crimes. Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 8.04(b));
3.engage in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit, or misrepresentation;
4.engage in conduct constituting obstruction of justice;
5.state or imply an ability to influence improperly a government agency or official;
6.knowingly assist a judge or judicial officer in conduct that is a violation of applicable rules of judicial conduct or other law;
7.violate any disciplinary or disability order or judgment;
8.fail to timely furnish to the chief disciplinary counsel’s office or a district grievance committee a response or other information as required by the Texas Rules of Disciplinary Procedure, unless he in good faith timely asserts a privilege or other legal ground for failure to do so;
9.engage in conduct that constitutes barratry as defined by Texas law;
10.fail to comply with Tex. Rules Disciplinary P. R. 13.01 relating to notification of an attorney’s cessation of practice;
11.engage in the practice of law when the attorney is on inactive status or when the attorney’s right to practice has been suspended or terminated, including but not limited to situations in which an attorney’s right to practice has been administratively suspended for failure to timely pay required fees or assessments or for failure to comply with article XII of the State Bar Rules relating to mandatory continuing legal education; or
12.violate any other Texas laws relating to the professional conduct of attorneys and to the practice of law.
Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 8.04(a).
The presence of an attorney-client relationship is not a necessary element in a charge of a violation of rule 8.04, as it is under many other disciplinary rules. These forms of misconduct are prohibited regardless of whether they involve the practice of law.
§ 1.11:2Examples of Misconduct
An attorney’s attempt to get a client to sign a false affidavit was professional misconduct under former DR 1-102(A)(3)–(5), and this violation, standing alone, warranted suspension for two years, even though it (that is, “attempted perjury”) might not be a violation of the Penal Code. Archer v. State, 548 S.W.2d 71, 76 (Tex. App.—El Paso 1977, writ ref’d n.r.e.); see also Searcy v. State Bar of Texas, 604 S.W.2d 256 (Tex. App.—San Antonio 1980, writ ref’d n.r.e.); Muniz v. State, 575 S.W.2d 408 (Tex. App.—Corpus Christi–Edinburg 1978, writ ref’d n.r.e.).
§ 1.12Responsibility to Clients with Diminished Capacity
§ 1.12:1New Rule Provides Range of Options
Amendments in 2021 to the Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct added rule 1.16 addressing clients with diminished capacity. The amended rules eliminate rule 1.02(g), which previously addressed the scope of representation and protective action that could be taken when working with a client with diminished capacity or one that “lacks legal competence.” Former rule 1.02(g) generally limited the attorney to seeking a guardianship or other protective order for the client. Rule 1.16 now gives an attorney a range of options, including informal consultations that current rules may otherwise prohibit, such as “consulting with individuals or entities” to “take action to protect the client” and seeking court action where appropriate. The rule and its comments advise the lawyer to consider the totality of the circumstances and then take appropriate action, considering the scope and severity of incapacity and the degree of threatened harm.
Note that the decision of Franks v. Roades, 310 S.W.3d 615 (Tex. App.—Corpus Christi–Edinburg, 2010, no pet.) (decided prior to the amended rule), has created some confusion relating to an attorney ad litem’s role in a guardianship. Franks involved a situation in which an attorney who believed his client was incapacitated and in need of a guardian pursued a guardian over her objection and represented the guardian. The attorney was found not to have breached his duty of loyalty to his client because of rule 1.02(g) of the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct. But the attorney in Franks was not the proposed ward’s attorney ad litem and thus did not involve a court-appointed attorney refusing to defend his client in a situation where the issue of capacity was central to the attorney’s appointment.
Since the decision in Franks, however, the rules have been amended to include rule 1.16, which provides greater guidance on these particular issues.
§ 1.12:2When Protective Action is Appropriate
The new rule indicates an attorney may take reasonable protective actions if the attorney believes a client has diminished capacity and is at risk of substantial physical, financial, or other harm unless action is taken. The rule states that the attorney “shall, as far as reasonably possible, maintain a normal client-lawyer relationship with the client.” Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 1.16. The rule provides a nonexhaustive list, including consulting with others that have the ability to take action to protect the client; seeking the appointment of a guardian ad litem, attorney ad litem, amicus attorney, or conservator when appropriate; or submitting an information letter to a court with jurisdiction to initiate guardianship proceedings for the client. Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 1.16. The comments to the rule provide a list of factors that should be considered when determining the extent of the client’s diminished capacity: the client’s ability to articulate reasoning leading to a decision, variability of state of mind and ability to appreciate consequences of the decision; the substantive fairness of the decision; and the consistency of a decision with the lawyer’s knowledge of the client’s long-term commitments and values. Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 1.16 cmt. 2. When considering protective action, the attorney should consider the client's values and wishes, to the extent known; the client’s best interests; interfering with the client’s decision-making autonomy to the least extent possible; maximizing client capacities; and respecting the client’s family and social connections. Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 1.16 cmt. 5. Comments to the rule note that if it becomes necessary to disclose confidential information to protect the client’s best interests, the attorney should consider whether it would be “prudent” to seek the client’s consent. The attorney should disclose such information only in “compelling” cases, and the authority to do so is “limited and extends no further than is reasonably necessary to facilitate protective action.” Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 1.16 cmt. 5. The attorney should also consider whether the disclosure of information relating to the client’s condition could impact the client’s interests. See Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 1.16 cmt. 9. Comments to the rule also address the provision of legal assistance in circumstances in which an attorney-client relationship has not been established. In an emergency situation, if a person with seriously diminished capacity is threatened with “imminent and irreparable harm,” the attorney may take legal action even when unable to establish a client-lawyer relationship when the person or another person acting in good faith on their behalf has consulted with the attorney. The attorney should act only when he has a reason-able belief that the person has no other lawyer, agent, or representative available. The attorney’s actions should be limited to that which will “maintain the status quo” or “otherwise avoid imminent and irreparable harm.” Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 1.16 cmt. 10. In such a case, confidences should be kept as if the attorney were dealing with a client, and the nature of the relationship should be disclosed as relevant to any tribunal or counsel involved. The attorney should also “regularize the relationship” or pursue other protective solutions as soon as possible. Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 1.16 cmt. 11. The comments stress that, regardless of a client’s diminished capacity, the attorney remains obligated to treat the client with attention and respect. Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 1.16 cmt. 3.
§ 1.13:1Determination of Proper Fee
Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 1.04 cmt. 1 provides that an attorney in good conscience should not charge or collect more than a reasonable fee, but it goes on to acknowledge that a standard of “reasonableness” is too vague to be an appropriate standard in a disciplinary action. The comment then notes that Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 1.04(a) adopts, for disciplinary purposes only, a clearer standard: the attorney is subject to discipline for an illegal or unconscionable fee.
A fee is unconscionable if a competent attorney could not form a reasonable belief that the fee is reasonable. The factors set out as guidelines for ascertaining the reasonableness of a particular fee are—
1.the time and labor required, the novelty and difficulty of the questions involved, and the skill requisite to perform the legal service properly;
2.the likelihood, if apparent to the client, that the acceptance of the particular employment will preclude other employment by the attorney;
3.the fee customarily charged in the locality for similar legal services;
4.the amount involved and the results obtained;
5.the time limitations imposed by the client or by the circumstances;
6.the nature and length of the professional relationship with the client;
7.the experience, reputation, and ability of the attorney or attorneys performing the services; and
8.whether the fee is fixed or contingent on results obtained or uncertainty of collection before the legal services have been rendered.
Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 1.04(b). These factors are not exclusive.
Rule 1.04 has been cited by Texas courts in determining the reasonableness of a particular fee. See Arthur Andersen & Co. v. Perry Equipment Corp., 945 S.W.2d 812, 818 (Tex. 1997); Braswell v. Braswell, 476 S.W.2d 444, 446 (Tex. App.—Waco 1972, writ dism’d). The Texas Supreme Court has held that factors listed in rule 1.04 also apply to determine the reasonableness of a guardian ad litem’s fee. Garcia v. Martinez, 988 S.W.2d 219, 222 (Tex. 1999).
In a federal court action decided under Texas law, a client sued his attorney, alleging that the $25,000 fee charged for representation in a criminal action was excessive. The Fifth Circuit reversed and remanded for the jury to decide whether the attorney breached his fiduciary duty to the client and whether, in consideration of former DR 2-106 and other appropriate factors, the fee was clearly excessive. Nolan v. Foreman, 665 F.2d 738, 741 (5th Cir. 1982).
According to Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 1.04(c), when the attorney has not regularly represented the client, the basis or rate of the fee shall be communicated to the client, preferably in writing, before or within a reasonable time after commencing the representation. This practice will not only prevent later misunderstanding but will also promote good attorney-client relations. Many persons who desire legal services have had little or no experience with attorney’s fees, and therefore the attorney should explain fully the reasons for the particular fee arrangement. Careless fee setting accounts for a large volume of complaints to grievance committees.
Because of the confidential nature of the attorney-client relationship, courts carefully scrutinize all contracts for attorney compensation. “There is a presumption of unfairness or invalidity attaching to the contract, and the burden of showing its fairness and reasonableness is on the attorney.” Archer v. Griffith, 390 S.W.2d 735, 739 (Tex. 1964).
For additional discussion on attorney’s fees, see section 10.10 in this manual.
§ 1.13:2Fee Splitting—Forwarding Fee for Client Referral
The rules allow fee splitting, with some limitations. Under Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 1.04(f), the following conditions must be met:
1.The division is in proportion to the professional services performed by each attorney or made between attorneys who assume joint responsibility for the representation.
2.The client consents in writing to the terms of the arrangement before the time of the association or referral proposed. The consent must include (a) the identity of all lawyers or law firms who will participate in the fee-splitting arrangement, (b) whether fees will be divided based on the proportion of services performed or by attorneys agreeing to assume joint responsibility for the representation, and (c) the share of the fee that each attorney or firm will receive or, if the division is based on the proportion of services performed, the basis on which the division will be made.
3.The aggregate fee does not violate rule 1.04(a).
Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 1.04(f).
As always, there is an overarching requirement that the aggregate fee is not illegal or unconscionable. Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 1.04(a).
Any agreement that allows an attorney or firm to associate other counsel in representing a person, or to refer the person to other counsel for representation, that results in such an association with or referral to a different firm or an attorney in a different firm must be confirmed by an arrangement conforming to rule 1.04(f). Consent by a client or prospective client without knowledge of the information described above about the terms of the arrangement does not constitute a confirmation. No attorney may collect or seek to collect fees or expenses in connection with any such agreement that is not confirmed in that way except for the reasonable value of legal services provided to the person and the reasonable and necessary expenses actually incurred on behalf of the person. Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 1.04(g).
Nature of Lien: Often attorneys mistakenly believe that clients’ attempts to dismiss them can be denied on an attorney’s lien theory. Under Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 1.15(a)(3), an attorney who is discharged by a client must withdraw from employment. If the attorney has spent money on the case without being reimbursed or has earned a fee at the time of dismissal, he may be able to exercise an attorney’s lien on the client’s properties and papers still in his possession. Griffith v. Geffen & Jacobsen, P.C., 693 S.W.2d 724, 728 (Tex. App.—Dallas 1985, no writ).
In Texas, a lien for attorney’s fees has a common-law rather than statutory basis. To perfect and maintain the lien, the attorney must have actual possession of the client’s property and must make a demand for payment. Smith v. State, 490 S.W.2d 902, 910 (Tex. App.—Corpus Christi–Edinburg 1972, writ ref’d n.r.e.).
Assertion of Lien May Be Unethical: Retaining a client’s property and papers may be unethical either because the attorney’s lien is unenforceable or because enforcement could damage or prejudice the former client’s legal rights. Tex. Comm. on Prof’l Ethics, Op. 411 (1984); Comm. on Interpretation of the Canons of Ethics, State Bar of Tex., Op. 395 (1979).
Under Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 1.15(d), an attorney withdrawing from representation must take all reasonable steps to avoid foreseeable prejudice to the rights of the client. Thus, if assertion of an attorney’s lien would result in foreseeable prejudice to the client, the lien should not be exercised.
When clients request payment or delivery of funds or other property to which they are entitled, attorneys have a duty to comply promptly. See Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 1.15(d). One attorney was suspended from practice for three months for refusing to return a client’s files after repeated requests. Hebisen v. State, 615 S.W.2d 866 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 1981, no writ).
In Smith, the State Bar of Texas sued to disbar an attorney, partially on the basis that he had willfully refused to relinquish certain documents to his former client after being discharged. The attorney finally succeeded, at a second trial, in having specific issues and instructions concerning an attorney’s right to assert a possessory lien submitted to the jury. However, the second jury also found that he was not asserting such a lien but was instead willfully and wrongfully refusing to relinquish a client’s documents. Smith v. State, 523 S.W.2d 1 (Tex. App.—Corpus Christi–Edinburg 1975, writ ref’d n.r.e.).
In Robinson v. Risinger, 548 S.W.2d 762, 766 (Tex. App.—Tyler 1977, writ ref’d n.r.e.), the court stated:
An attorney should not withdraw without considering carefully and endeavoring to minimize the possible adverse effect on the rights of his client and the possibility of prejudice to his client as a result of his withdrawal. . . . [The attorney should give] due notice of his withdrawal, suggesting employment of other counsel, delivering to the client all papers and property to which the client is entitled, cooperating with counsel subsequently employed, and otherwise endeavoring to minimize the possibility of harm.
The Fifth Circuit has held that under former DR 9-102(B)(4) a client has a right to the return of papers on request if the attorney cannot claim an attorney’s lien. The court reasoned that, although a client’s remedy for an attorney’s violation of this right would be a damage action sounding in tort, the fact that the client cast the violation in terms of breach of contract would not preclude damages if the client could prove the violation. Nolan v. Foreman, 665 F.2d 738, 742–43 (5th Cir. 1982). But see Martin v. Trevino, 578 S.W.2d 763, 770 (Tex. App.—Corpus Christi–Edinburg 1978, writ ref’d n.r.e.) (violation of former Code of Professional Responsibility will not give rise to private cause of action). However, in a later decision, this same court stated that the appellee might seek recovery in a private cause of action against the appellant’s attorney whose violation of the Code of Professional Responsibility rendered a postjudgment settlement agreement void and unenforceable. Quintero v. Jim Walter Homes, Inc., 709 S.W.2d 225, 233 (Tex. App.—Corpus Christi–Edinburg 1985, writ ref’d n.r.e.).
§ 1.13:4Withholding Services Until Fee Is Paid
Late payment or nonpayment of a fee does not justify withholding services from a client. If the client substantially fails to fulfill an obligation to the attorney regarding the attorney’s services, including an obligation to pay the attorney’s fee as agreed, the only recourse is to withdraw from representation. Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 1.15(b)(5). Before withdrawal is proper, the attorney must obtain permission from any court before which he has acted as attorney of record for that client and must take reasonable steps to avoid foreseeable prejudice to the client’s rights. These steps include giving reasonable warning that the attorney will withdraw unless the obligation is fulfilled, allowing time to employ other counsel, surrendering to the client all papers and property to which the client is entitled, and refunding any advance payments of fee not yet earned. Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 1.15(b)(5), (d).
An attorney may condition acceptance of employment on advance payment but may not condition completion of legal services on payment of unpaid portions of the fee. A client’s failure to pay for the attorney’s services does not relieve the attorney of the duty to perform completely and on time unless the attorney withdraws from representation in a manner that does not prejudice the client’s legal rights. See Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 1.15.
§ 1.14:1Conflicts between Interests of Attorney and Client
Generally: An attorney has a strong fiduciary relationship to the client that precludes any conflict of interest. “The relation of attorney and client is one of uberrima fides. . . . The integrity of such relationship should be carefully observed and scrupulously upheld at all times.” Smith v. Dean, 240 S.W.2d 789, 791 (Tex. App.—Waco 1951, no writ).
Refusing to Accept Employment: If the interests of the client and the attorney may conflict, the attorney must refuse that employment. Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 1.06 states in part:
(a)A lawyer shall not represent opposing parties to the same litigation.
(b)In other situations and except to the extent permitted by paragraph (c), a lawyer shall not represent a person if the representation of that person:
(1)involves a substantially related matter in which that person’s interests are materially and directly adverse to the interests of another client of the lawyer or the lawyer’s firm; or
(2)reasonably appears to be or become adversely limited by the lawyer’s or law firm’s responsibilities to another client or to a third person or by the lawyer’s or law firm’s own interests.
(c)A lawyer may represent a client in the circumstances described in (b) if:
(1)the lawyer reasonably believes the representation of each client will not be materially affected; and
(2)each affected or potentially affected client consents to such represent-ation after full disclosure of the existence, nature, implications, and possible adverse consequences of the common representation and the advantages involved, if any.
Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 1.06(a)–(c).
The attorney’s duty to withdraw because of conflict also prevails when a court has appointed an attorney to represent an indigent client. In Haley v. Boles, 824 S.W.2d 796 (Tex. App.—Tyler 1992, no writ), a trial judge had appointed an attorney to represent a criminal defendant. The attorney filed a motion to withdraw, alleging that a conflict of interest would arise from his representation because his law partner’s wife was the district attorney. The trial court denied the motion, and the attorney filed an application for writ of mandamus. In conditionally granting the writ, the court of appeals noted that the propriety of attorney-spouses representing opposing parties in a criminal case was a case of first impression but that, if there is impropriety in spouses representing adversaries, the disqualification extends to the partners and associates of the spouse. The court also concluded that there was at least the appearance of tension and that the appearance of independence of trial counsel is diminished in these circumstances. Although the court expressly limited its ruling to the representation of indigent defendants in criminal cases by court-appointed counsel, the relevance of the case to guardianship practice is apparent from the frequent appointment of attorneys to act as attorneys ad litem.
Former Clients: An attorney may permissibly acquire an interest adverse to that of a former client only on a showing that acquiring the interest did not require breaching any confidence, taking any unfair advantage, or using any information acquired in the attorney-client relationship. Waters v. Bruner, 355 S.W.2d 230, 233 (Tex. App.—San Antonio 1962, writ ref’d n.r.e.).
In Merrell v. Fanning & Harper, 597 S.W.2d 945 (Tex. App.—Tyler 1980, no writ), the court held that a law firm had no duty to protect a former client’s property that was the subject of a writ of execution issued to the firm under a judgment against the former client for unpaid attorney’s fees. Because the attorney-client relationship had ended well before the litigation began, the firm had no duty to protect the property sold to satisfy the judgment.
Acquiring Interest in Litigation: Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 1.08(h) states that an attorney shall not acquire a proprietary interest in the cause of action or subject matter of litigation the attorney is conducting for a client, except that the attorney may acquire a lien granted by law to secure the attorney’s fee or expenses and contract in a civil case with a client for a contingent fee that is permissible under Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 1.04.
The rule is preventive, for it may be violated even without a showing that a client has suffered actual harm. The rule prohibits attorneys from acquiring proprietary interests in the subject matter of litigation in order to avoid the possibility of adverse influence on the attorney and harm to the client. State v. Baker, 539 S.W.2d 367, 373 (Tex. App.—Austin 1976, writ ref’d n.r.e.), disapproved on other grounds by Cosgrove v. Grimes, 774 S.W.2d 662, 665 (Tex. 1989). In Baker, the attorney was disciplined for purchasing property on the client’s behalf at a sheriff’s sale and thereafter using title to the property to secure fees for himself without notice to and consent of the client.
Loans to Clients: Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 1.08(d) provides that an attorney shall not provide financial assistance to a client in connection with pending or contemplated litigation or administrative proceedings, except that an attorney may advance or guarantee court costs, expenses of litigation or administrative proceedings, and reasonably necessary medical and living expenses, the repayment of which may be contingent on the outcome of the matter, and an attorney representing an indigent client may pay court costs and expenses of litigation on behalf of the client.
Business Ventures with Clients: Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 1.08(a) provides that an attorney shall not enter into a business transaction with a client unless the transaction and terms on which the attorney acquires the interest are fair and reasonable to the client and are fully disclosed in a manner that can be reasonably understood by the client, the client is given a reasonable opportunity to seek the advice of independent counsel in the transaction, and the client consents in writing thereto.
Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 1.08(j) defines the term business transactions as excluding standard commercial transactions between the attorney and the client for products or services that the client generally markets to others. Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 1.08 cmt. 2 reiterates this exclusion, noting that the general prohibition does not apply to standard commercial transactions between the attorney and client for products or services that the client generally markets, such as banking or brokerage services, medical services, products manufactured or distributed by the client, and utilities services. In these transactions the attorney has no advantage in dealing with the client, and the restrictions in Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 1.08(a) are unnecessary and impracticable.
The rule departs from former DR 5-104(A), which forbade an attorney to enter into a business transaction with a client if they had differing interests and if the client expected the attorney to exercise his professional judgment to protect the client, unless the client consented after disclosure. The rule does not refer to the exercise of the attorney’s professional judgment or to the client’s expectations. Business transactions are flatly prohibited unless the attorney strictly complies with Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 1.08(a), which appears to require written consent of the client regardless of his expectations.
Exceptions for Nonprofit and Limited Pro Bono Legal Services: Newly enacted Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 6.05 creates a narrow exception to the conflict rules when an attorney provides limited advice and brief assistance on a pro bono basis. As applicable in the rule, “‘limited pro bono legal services’” means legal services that are: “(1) provided through a pro bono or assisted pro se program sponsored by a court, bar association, accredited law school, or nonprofit legal services program; (2) short-term services such as legal advice or other brief assistance with pro se documents or transactions, provided either in person or by phone, hotline, internet, or video conferencing; and (3) provided without any expectation of extended representation of the limited assistance client or of receiving any legal fees in that matter.” The imputation provisions of Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 1.06, 1.07, and 1.09 will not apply to other attorneys in the firm if the attorney providing the limited or pro bono services does not disclose the confidential information of the pro bono client to others in the firm and if that information is maintained in such a manner that is not accessible to the attorneys in the firm. The comment to the rule explains that in certain pro bono settings in which limited assistance is offered, the attorney does not have the opportunity to check for conflicts as normally would be required. This has often deterred participation in these pro bono programs. The exception does not apply if the attorney is aware that a conflict exists. See Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 6.05.
§ 1.14:2Conflicts of Interest among Clients
Conflicts Created by Multiple Representation: An attorney may not accept or continue employment when two or more of the attorney’s clients might have interests that are conflicting, inconsistent, diverse, or otherwise discordant. Lott v. Ayres, 611 S.W.2d 473, 476 (Tex. App.—Dallas 1980, writ ref’d n.r.e.).
Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 1.06 provides—
(a)A lawyer shall not represent opposing parties to the same litigation.
(b)In other situations and except to the extent permitted by paragraph (c), a lawyer shall not represent a person if the representation of that person:
(1)involves a substantially related matter in which that person’s interests are materially and directly adverse to the interests of another client of the lawyer or the lawyer’s firm; or
(2)reasonably appears to be or become adversely limited by the lawyer’s or law firm’s responsibilities to another client or to a third person or by the lawyer’s or law firm’s own interests.
(c)A lawyer may represent a client in the circumstances described in (b) if:
(1)the lawyer reasonably believes the representation of each client will not be materially affected; and
(2)each affected or potentially affected client consents to such represent-ation after full disclosure of the existence, nature, implications, and possible adverse consequences of the common representation and the advantages involved, if any.
(d)A lawyer who has represented multiple parties in a matter shall not thereafter represent any of such parties in a dispute among the parties arising out of the matter, unless prior consent is obtained from all such parties to the dispute.
(e)If a lawyer has accepted representation in violation of this Rule, or if multiple representation properly accepted becomes improper under this Rule, the lawyer shall promptly withdraw from one or more representations to the extent necessary for any remaining representation not to be in violation of these Rules.
(f)If a lawyer would be prohibited by this Rule from engaging in particular conduct, no other lawyer while a member or associated with that lawyer’s firm may engage in that conduct.
Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 1.06.
An attorney may properly represent both buyer and seller in real estate transactions when all parties agree after full disclosure of the facts. One court held such representation proper under these circumstances: The purchasers were satisfied with the attorney’s handling of the original transaction; they were aware of the attorney’s position as trustee; and they understood that as trustee he had power to sell the property in case of default. Dillard v. Broyles, 633 S.W.2d 636 (Tex. App.—Corpus Christi–Edinburg 1982, writ ref’d n.r.e.), cert. denied, 463 U.S. 1208 (1983).
Conflicts Created by Prior Representation: Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 1.09 provides that, without prior consent, an attorney who personally has formerly represented a client in a matter shall not thereafter represent another person in a matter adverse to the former client in which the other person questions the validity of the attorney’s services or work product for the former client, or if the representation in reasonable probability will involve a violation of Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 1.05, or if it is the same or a substantially related matter.
The fact that the lawyer has no recollection of the initial consultation or the matter disclosed in the meeting is of no consequence. The former client is entitled to a conclusive presumption that he imparted confidences and secrets. In re Z.N.H., 280 S.W.3d 481, 485 (Tex. App.—Eastland 2009, no pet.).
The issue of what constitutes a “substantial relation” in this regard has arisen in some cases. In Lott v. Lott, 605 S.W.2d 665, 668 (Tex. App.—Dallas 1980, writ dism’d), the court held that an attorney’s representation of a husband and wife in a personal injury action involving the wife’s injuries did not preclude his representation of the wife in a divorce action filed while the first suit was pending.
Similarly, the court did not find a sufficient relation to create a conflict when an attorney represented a clinic in a contract dispute against a doctor to whom he had previously given advice on the status of an out-of-state divorce decree. Braun v. Valley Ear, Nose & Throat Specialists, 611 S.W.2d 470, 472 (Tex. App.—Corpus Christi–Edinburg 1980, no writ).
§ 1.15:1Confidences and Secrets of Clients
Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 1.05 imposes on attorneys the duty to maintain their clients’ confidences and secrets. The rule is couched in terms of “confidential information,” which includes both “privileged information” and “unprivileged client information.” “Privileged information” is information of a client protected by the attorney-client privilege of Tex. R. Evid. 503 or by the principles of attorney-client privilege governed by Fed. R. Evid. 501. “Unprivileged client information” means all information relating to a client or furnished by the client, other than privileged information, acquired by the attorney during the course of or by reason of the representation of the client.
An attorney may reveal confidential information under these circumstances:
1.When the attorney has been expressly authorized to do so in order to carry out the representation.
2.When the client consents after consultation.
3.To the client, the client’s representatives, or the members, associates, and employees of the attorney’s firm, except when otherwise instructed by the client.
4.When the attorney has reason to believe it is necessary to do so in order to comply with a court order, a Texas Disciplinary Rule of Professional Conduct, or other law.
5.To the extent reasonably necessary to enforce a claim or establish a defense on behalf of the attorney in a controversy between the attorney and the client.
6.To establish a defense to a criminal charge, civil claim, or disciplinary complaint against the attorney or the attorney’s associates based on conduct involving the client or the representation of the client.
7.When the attorney has reason to believe it is necessary to do so in order to prevent the client from committing a criminal or fraudulent act.
8.To the extent revelation reasonably appears necessary to rectify the consequences of a client’s criminal or fraudulent act in the commission of which the attorney’s services had been used.
9.To secure legal advice about the attorney’s compliance with the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct.
10.When the attorney has reason to believe it is necessary to do so in order to prevent a client from dying by suicide.
Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 1.05(c).
An attorney may reveal unprivileged client information when the attorney is impliedly authorized to do so in order to carry out the representation or when the attorney has reason to believe it is necessary to do so in order to carry out the representation effectively, to defend the attorney or the attorney’s employees or associates against a claim of wrongful conduct, to respond to allegations in any proceeding concerning the attorney’s representation of the client, or to prove the services rendered to a client, or the reasonable value of the services, or both, in an action against another person or organization responsible for the payment of the fee for services rendered to the client. Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 1.05(d). Comment 17 to rule 1.05 also notes that an attorney representing a client with diminished capacity should also review rule 1.16, which under limited circumstances allows the disclosure of confidential information to protect the client’s interests. See Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 1.16(c).
Further, an attorney shall reveal confidential information when it clearly establishes that a client is likely to commit a criminal or fraudulent act that is likely to result in death or substantial bodily harm to a person, and the revelation of the information reasonably appears necessary to prevent the client from committing the act. Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 1.05(e). An attorney shall also reveal confidential information when required to do so by Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 3.03(a)(2), 3.03(b), or 4.01(b). See Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 1.05(f). Rules 3.03(a)(2) and 4.01(b) require an attorney to disclose information when necessary to avoid assisting a criminal or fraudulent act. Rule 3.03(b) requires “reasonable remedial measures, including disclosure of the true facts” if an attorney has offered material evidence and later learns of its falsity.
The rule 1.05 comments note that when death or serious bodily harm is likely to result, revelation of confidential information is required. In all other situations, the attorney’s obligation is to dissuade the client from committing the crime or fraud or to persuade the client to take corrective action. When the threatened crime or fraud is likely to have the less serious result of substantial injury to the financial interests or property of another, the attorney is not required to reveal preventive information, but may do so. Comment 14 notes:
Although preventive action is permitted by paragraphs (c) and (d), failure to take preventive action does not violate those paragraphs. But see paragraphs (e) and (f). Because these rules do not define standards of civil liability of lawyers for professional conduct, paragraphs (c) and (d) do not create a duty on the lawyer to make any disclosure and no civil liability is intended to arise from the failure to make such disclosure.
The same statement is not made with regard to paragraphs (e) and (f).
Recording One’s Own Conversations: Either of two individuals having a telephone conversation may record it without violating the Federal Communications Act, 47 U.S.C. § 605. See Rathbun v. United States, 355 U.S. 107 (1957). This general rule has been applied to conversations between spouses. See Kotrla v. Kotrla, 718 S.W.2d 853 (Tex. App.—Corpus Christi–Edinburg 1986, writ ref’d n.r.e.). However, a Texas attorney has been publicly reprimanded for involving a nonattorney in the installation of a device to record telephone conversations of her estranged husband. The attorney also engaged in third-party recordings of telephone conversations without the knowledge or consent of the parties engaged in the conversations. It is noted, however, that the telephone calls did not involve any clients. 52 Tex. B.J. 234 (1989).
The American Bar Association has previously taken the position that no attorney should record any conversation, whether by tape or other electronic device, without the consent or prior knowledge of all parties. ABA Comm. on Ethics & Prof’l Responsibility, Formal Op. 337 (1974). The former Code of Professional Responsibility took a similar position. Except under extraordinary circumstances, former Ethical Considerations 1-5 and 9-6 prohibited an attorney from tape-recording a conversation with another person without first informing that person. Comm. on Interpretation of the Canons of Ethics, State Bar of Tex., Op. 392 (1978) (overruling Ethics Op. 84 (1953)).
But in 2001, the American Bar Association’s Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility (the “ABA Committee”) withdrew its Formal Opinion 337 and issued Formal Opinion 01-422 (June 24, 2001). In that opinion, the ABA Committee ruled that a lawyer may record his telephone conversations without disclosure to other parties to the calls, provided that the recording is not in violation of applicable law and is not contrary to a representation by the lawyer that the conversation is not being recorded. The ABA Committee noted that it was divided on whether to permit a lawyer to make an undisclosed recording of a telephone conversation with a client but indicated that such recordings were generally inadvisable. In doing so, the ABA Committee recognized that there are legitimate reasons a lawyer may electronically record conversations with a client or third party, including to aid memory, keep accurate records, gather information from potential witnesses, and to protect the lawyer from false accusations. See ABA Comm. on Ethics & Prof’l Responsibility, Formal Op. 01-422 (2001).
In 2006, the Texas Committee on Professional Ethics issued Opinion 575, indicating it did not believe that an “undisclosed recording of a telephone conversation by a party to the conversation can be termed to involve ‘dishonesty, fraud, deceit or misrepresentation’ within the meaning of Rule 8.04(a)(3).” The committee noted that because “an undisclosed recording of a telephone conversation by a party to the conversation is not a crime under Texas or Federal law, there appears to be no other provision of the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct that could be said to be violated by such an undisclosed recording.” Therefore, it found that a Texas attorney’s “undisclosed recording of his telephone conversation with another person should not be held to violate Rule 8.04(a)(3).” But the opinion did mandate several qualifications, including (1) recordings of clients should be for the “legitimate interest” of the lawyer or client, (2) any recordings should be safeguarded to protect confidential information, (3) recordings should not violate the other laws that may apply, such as the laws of another state, and (4) any recordings should not be contrary to a representation made by the attorney. If these conditions are met, an undisclosed recording of telephone conversations by a Texas attorney is no longer per se a violation of the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct. See Tex. Comm. on Prof’l Ethics, Op. 575 (2006).
Recording Conversations to Which One Is Not a Party—Federal Regulations: The Omnibus Criminal Control Act, at 18 U.S.C. § 2511(1), precludes the interception of a wire, oral, or electronic communication. “Intercept” is defined at 18 U.S.C. § 2510(4) as “the aural or other acquisition of the contents of any wire, electronic, or oral communication through the use of any electronic, mechanical, or other device.”
Recording Conversations to Which One Is Not a Party—State Statutes: The Texas Penal Code provides a second-degree felony punishment (confinement in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice for a term of two to twenty years and a fine of not more than $10,000) for one who “intentionally intercepts, endeavors to intercept, or procures another person to intercept or endeavor to intercept a wire, oral, or electronic communication.” Tex. Penal Code § 16.02(b)(1), (f). The terms intercept, oral communication, and wire communication have the meanings given them in article 18A.001 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure. Tex. Penal Code § 16.02(a). The article 18A.001 definitions are virtually the same as those in the federal act (without the references to interstate commerce or communications). See 18 U.S.C. § 2510; Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 18A.001.
The Texas Civil Practice and Remedies Code authorizes civil action by a party to a communication against a person who intercepts, tries to intercept, or employs or obtains another to intercept or try to intercept the communication or who uses or divulges information he knows or reasonably should know was obtained by interception of the communication. Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 123.002(a)(1), (a)(2). “Communication” means speech uttered by a person or information including speech that is transmitted in whole or in part with the aid of a wire or cable. Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 123.001(1). “Interception” means the aural acquisition of the contents of a communication through the use of an electronic, mechanical, or other device that is made without the consent of a party to the communication. Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 123.001(2).
§ 1.16:1Keeping Clients’ Funds in Separate Account
An attorney must hold funds and other property belonging in whole or in part to clients or third persons that are in the attorney’s possession in connection with a representation separate from the attorney’s own property. These funds must be kept in a separate account, designated as a “trust” or “escrow” account, maintained in the state in which the attorney’s office is situated or elsewhere with the consent of the client or third person. Other client property must be identified as such and appropriately safeguarded. The attorney must keep complete records of account funds and other property and preserve them for five years after termination of the representation. Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 1.14(a).
On receiving funds or other property in which a client or third person has an interest, an attorney must promptly notify the client or third person. Except as stated in Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 1.14 or otherwise permitted by law or by agreement with the client, an attorney must promptly deliver to the client or third person any funds or other property that the client or third person is entitled to receive and, on request by the client or third person, promptly render a full account regarding the property. Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 1.14(b).
When in the course of representation an attorney is in possession of funds or other property in which both the attorney and another person claim interests, the attorney must keep the property separate until there is an account and severance of their interest. All funds in a trust or escrow account may be disbursed only to those persons entitled to receive them by virtue of the representation or by law. If a dispute arises concerning their respective interests, the attorney must keep the portion in dispute separate until the dispute is resolved, and the undisputed portion must be distributed appropriately. Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 1.14(c).
In Archer v. State, 548 S.W.2d 71 (Tex. App.—El Paso 1977, writ ref’d n.r.e.), the court upheld a two-year suspension of an attorney’s license as a proper sanction for commingling funds. The jury found that the attorney had deposited a client’s funds in a general business account. The court held that a fraudulent, willful, or culpable intent was not necessary to invoke the suspension and that the client’s consent did not absolve the attorney from liability. The purpose of former DR 9-102, said the court, was to guard against loss of a client’s funds that may occur even with “good intentions.” Archer, 548 S.W.2d at 74.
Attorneys must distinguish between true retainer fees (payments to compensate an attorney for his commitment to provide certain services and to forgo other employment opportunities) and advance payment retainer fees (advance payments for services to be performed). True retainer fees are earned when received and may be deposited in the attorney’s account. Former DR 2-110 required the attorney to promptly refund an equitable portion of the true retainer fee if he was discharged or withdrew before losing other employment opportunities. Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 1.15(d) merely requires an attorney to refund any advance payment of a fee that has not been earned. Retainer fees are not mentioned in Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 1.14, but clearly they should be used with caution. Nonrefundable retainers, though not inherently unethical, pose many potential problems and must be used with caution. Tex. Comm. on Prof’l Ethics, Op. 431 (1986). Guardianship fees, including the payment of retainers, are subject to the approval of the probate court.
In Bates v. State Bar of Arizona, 433 U.S. 350 (1977), the Supreme Court held that it was unconstitutional to prohibit attorneys from advertising prices charged for uncontested divorces, simple adoptions, uncontested personal bankruptcies, changes of name, and routine services, as long as the advertising is not false, deceptive, or misleading.
However, in Florida Bar v. Went for It, Inc., 515 U.S. 618 (1995), the Supreme Court ruled that certain restrictions on targeted direct-mail solici-tation imposed by the Florida Bar did not violate the First Amendment free-speech guarantees as applied to commercial speech. This case further refines the “intermediate scrutiny” framework applied to regulation of commercial speech and upholds the right of state bar associations to restrict certain forms of advertising by attorneys.
§ 1.17:2Texas Advertising Guidelines
The following practice notes briefly summarize salient parts of the rules adopted by the Supreme Court of Texas relating to advertising, but attorneys planning any form of advertising or solicitation, including on websites, should examine the advertising rules closely and direct any inquiries to the State Bar of Texas Advertising Review Department. A packet of information containing the Lawyer Advertising Rules, an application form, and other informative materials may be obtained from the department, and attorneys may seek guidance about interpretations of the rules from department staff. The telephone number for the Advertising Review Department is 1-800-566-4616.
Communications about Services: The rules specifically prohibit making or sponsoring false or misleading communications about attorneys’ services or qualifications. A communication is considered false or misleading if it contains a material misrepresentation of fact or law, or if it omits a fact necessary to make the statement as a whole not misleading. The rule is applicable to all communications about an attorney’s services, including advertisements and solicitation communications. See Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 7.01. Any statement or disclaimer required by the rules, must be sufficiently clear so that it can be reasonably understood by an ordinary person and made in each language used in the communication. Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 7.01(d).
Firm Names and Letterhead: Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 7.01(c) permits the practice of law under a trade name or a name that is not false or misleading. A firm name may include the names of current members of the firm and of deceased or retired members. This may also include members from a predecessor firm if there has been a succession in the firm identity. Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 7.01(c). If an attorney is holding a public office, the firm may not include his name during any substantial period in which the attorney is not regularly and actively practicing with the firm. Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 7.01(c). If a law firm has a practice in multiple jurisdictions, the same name or professional designation may be used in each jurisdiction. The letterhead of the firm for a Texas office must indicate which attorneys listed are not licensed to practice in Texas. Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 7.01(c). An attorney may state or imply that he practices in a partnership or business entity only when accurate. Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 7.01(f).
Prohibited Payments: Attorneys may not pay referral fees to nonattorneys, although they may pay for advertising and for the expenses of an attorney referral service. An attorney may enter a referral agreement with another attorney or nonattorney professional that does not otherwise violate the disciplinary rules if the reciprocal referral agreement is nonexclusive, clients are informed of the existence and nature of the agreement, and the attorney uses independent professional judgment in making the referrals. Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 7.03(e). Attorneys may not, for the purpose of securing employment, pay, give, or advance or offer to pay, give, or advance anything of value to a prospective client or other person, except for amounts allowed under Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 1.08(f) and ordinary social hospitality of nominal value. Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 7.03(c).
Advertisements in Public Media: Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 7.02 governs advertisements of legal services. As defined by the rules, an advertisement is “a communication substantially motivated by pecuniary gain that is made by or on behalf of a lawyer to members of the public in general, which offers or promotes legal services under circumstances where the lawyer neither knows nor reasonably should know that the recipients need legal services in particular matters.” Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 7.01. The rule requires that an advertisement of legal services publish the name of at least one attorney who is responsible for the content of the advertisement. The advertisement must also identify the lawyer’s location of primary practice. Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 7.02(a).
An attorney may indicate he does or does not practice in a particular field of law. An advertisement may not, however, include a statement that indicates that the attorney has been certified or has been designated as or is a member of an organization having a special competence. The rule allows for two exceptions:
1.a lawyer who has been awarded a Certificate of Special Competence by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in the area so advertised, may state with respect to each such area, “Board Certified, area of specialization—Texas Board of Legal Specialization”; and
2.a lawyer who is a member of an organization the name of which implies that its members possess special competence, or who has been certified or designated by an organization as possessing special competence in a field of practice, may include a factually accurate, non-misleading statement of such membership or certification, but only if that organization has been accredited by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization as a bona fide organization that admits to membership or grants certification only on the basis of published criteria which the Texas Board of Legal Specialization has established as required for such certification.
Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 7.02(b).
If contingent fees are advertised, the advertisement must state whether the client will be required to pay court costs and whether the client will be responsible for other expenses. Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 7.02(c).
If a fee or range of fees is advertised, the attorney is expected to honor those prices for the period during which the advertisement is expected to be in circulation or for the time stated in the advertisement. However, quoted prices are not expected to be honored for longer than one year after the date of publication. Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 7.02(d). If an advertisement includes a verdict secured and the attorney knows the verdict was later reduced or reversed, or the case was settled for less, the attorney must state in each advertisement, with equal or greater prominence, the amount that was ultimately received by the client. Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 7.01(g).
Prohibited Written, Electronic, or Digital Solicitations: Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 7.03 governs “[r]egulated telephone, social media, or other electronic contact.” This is defined as “telephone, social media, or electronic communication initiated by a lawyer, or by a person acting on behalf of a lawyer, that involves communication in a live or electronically interactive manner.” Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 7.03(a)(1). An attorney may not solicit, in person or by regulated telephone, social media, or other electronic means, professional employment from a nonclient. Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 7.03(b). The rule provides exceptions if the target of the communication is another attorney; a person who has family, close personal, or prior business or professional relationship with the attorney; or a person known to be an experienced user of the type of legal services involved for business matters. Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 7.03(b).
The comments to the rule note that a “solicitation communication” is one “substantially motivated by pecuniary gain.” Therefore, an attorney employed by a nonprofit organization may contact members of the organization for limited purposes. See Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 7.01(b)(1). This rule prohibits an attorney from sending communications that involve coercion, duress, overreaching, intimidation, or undue influence. Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 7.03(c). The rule also prohibits attorneys from sending a communication to a prospective client if the communication is misleading or designed to resemble a legal pleading or other legal document or is not plainly marked or designated an “advertisement.” Exceptions are allowed if the target of the communication is another lawyer; a person that attorney has a family, close personal, or prior business or professional relationship with; or a person that the attorney knows to be an experienced user of the type of legal services involved for business matters. Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 7.03(d). Communications authorized by law, such as notice to members of a class in a class action litigation, are not prohibited by this rule. Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 7.03(g). Communications to the general public, such as a billboard, are not considered a solicitation. See Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 7.03 cmt. 2.
Filing Requirements: With certain exceptions, an attorney must file a copy of the advertisement or solicitation communication, a completed lawyer advertising and solicitation communication application, and filing fee to the Advertising Review Committee of the State Bar. This must be filed no later than ten days after the advertisement is disseminated or ten days after the date a solicitation communication is sent. Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 7.04(a); see Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 7.05. A preapproval may be requested not fewer than thirty days prior to the first date of dissemination. Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 7.04(c). A finding of noncompliance is not binding in a disciplinary proceeding or action. A finding of compliance is binding, however, in favor of the attorney with regard to the materials submitted for preapproval if the material fairly and accurately described the advertised or solicited communication as later produced. Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 7.04(c).
Advertising Regarding Medications or Medical Devices: Texas Government Code section 81.151, enacted by the Eighty-sixth Legislature in 2019, creates restrictions on television advertising for legal services relating to medications and medical devices. The statute provides guidelines on restricted language and mandates the use of certain warnings and disclosures. A violation of the provision is actionable under chapter 17, subchapter E, of the Texas Business and Commerce Code. See Tex. Gov’t Code §§ 81.151, 81.155.
Prohibited Employment: Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 7.06 generally prohibits an attorney from accepting or continuing employment if the employment was procured by conduct prohibited by the advertising rules, certain criminal conduct, or barratry.
Jurisdiction: Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 8.05 designates who will be subject to discipline by the State Bar of Texas for violation of the Texas advertising guidelines. Under rule 8.05, in certain cases, an attorney admitted in Texas may be disciplined for advertisements made in other jurisdictions.
An attorney who finds it necessary to testify as a witness should first consult rule 3.08, which provides:
(a)A lawyer shall not accept or continue employment as an advocate before a tribunal in a contemplated or pending adjudicatory proceeding if the lawyer knows or believes that the lawyer is or may be a witness necessary to establish an essential fact on behalf of the lawyer’s client, unless:
(1)the testimony relates to an uncontested issue;
(2)the testimony will relate solely to a matter of formality and there is no reason to believe that substantial evidence will be offered in opposition to the testimony;
(3)the testimony relates to the nature and value of legal services rendered in the case;
(4)the lawyer is a party to the action and is appearing pro se; or
(5)the lawyer has promptly notified opposing counsel that the lawyer expects to testify in the matter and disqualification of the lawyer would work substantial hardship on the client.
(b)A lawyer shall not continue as an advocate in a pending adjudicatory proceeding if the lawyer believes that the lawyer will be compelled to furnish testimony that will be substantially adverse to the lawyer’s client, unless the client consents after full disclosure.
(c)Without the client’s informed consent, a lawyer may not act as advocate in an adjudicatory proceeding in which another lawyer in the lawyer’s firm is prohibited by paragraphs (a) or (b) from serving as advocate. If the lawyer to be called as a witness could not also serve as an advocate under this Rule, that lawyer shall not take an active role before the tribunal in the presentation of the matter.
Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 3.08.
However, disqualification is a severe remedy. In re Sanders, 153 S.W.3d 54, 57 (Tex. 2004). “Mere allegations of unethical conduct or evidence showing a remote possibility of a violation of the disciplinary rules will not suffice” to merit disqualification. Spears v. Fourth Court of Appeals, 797 S.W.2d 654, 656 (Tex. 1990). The party requesting disqualification must demonstrate that the opposing lawyer’s dual role as attorney and witness will cause the party actual prejudice. Ayres v. Canales, 790 S.W.2d 554, 558 (Tex. 1990); see also In re Frost, No. 12-08-00154-CV, 2008 WL 2122597 (Tex. App.— Tyler May 21, 2008) (mem. op.). Finally, a lawyer should not seek to disqualify an opposing lawyer by unnecessarily calling that lawyer as a witness. Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 3.08 cmt. 10.
§ 1.19Technological Competence
The Supreme Court has amended the comment to rule 1.01, which addresses competent and diligent legal representation, to address technological competency. The revised comment indicates that each lawyer “should strive to become and remain proficient and competent in the practice of law, including the benefits and risks associated with relevant technology.” Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 1.01 cmt. 8 (emphasis added). The comment is similar to a change made in the American Bar Association’s model rule in 2012. See www.americanbar.org/groups/professional_responsibility/publications/model_rules_of_professional_conduct/rule_1_1_competence/comment_on_rule_1_1/.
§ 1.20Duty to Report Professional Misconduct
Rule 8.03 of the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct requires attorneys to make a report when a substantial question arises about another lawyer’s “honesty, trustworthiness or fitness.” An attorney is also required to self-report in the event of certain convictions or if the attorney is placed on probation, or if the attorney has been disciplined by the attorney regulatory agency of another jurisdiction or by a federal court or federal agency:
8.03 Reporting Professional Misconduct
(a)Except as permitted in paragraphs (c) or (d), a lawyer having knowledge that another lawyer has committed a violation of applicable rules of professional conduct that raises a substantial question as to that lawyer’s honesty, trustworthiness or fitness as a lawyer in other respects, shall inform the appropriate disciplinary authority.
(b)Except as permitted in paragraphs (c) or (d), a lawyer having knowledge that a judge has committed a violation of applicable rules of judicial conduct that raises a substantial question as to the judge’s fitness for office shall inform the appropriate authority.
(c)A lawyer having knowledge or suspecting that another lawyer or judge whose conduct the lawyer is required to report pursuant to paragraphs (a) or (b) of this Rule is impaired by chemical dependency on alcohol or drugs or by mental illness may report that person to an approved peer assistance program rather than to an appropriate disciplinary authority. If a lawyer elects that option, the lawyer’s report to the approved peer assistance program shall disclose any disciplinary violations that the reporting lawyer would otherwise have to disclose to the authorities referred to in paragraphs (a) and (b).
(d)This rule does not require disclosure of knowledge or information otherwise protected as confidential information:
(1)by Rule 1.05 or
(2)by any statutory or regulatory provisions applicable to the counseling activities of the approved peer assistance program.
(e)A lawyer who has been convicted or placed on probation, with or without an adjudication of guilt, by any court for barratry, any felony, or for a misdemeanor involving theft, embezzlement, or fraudulent or reckless misappropriation of money or other property—including a conviction or sentence of probation for attempt, conspiracy, or solicitation—must notify the chief disciplinary counsel within 30 days of the date of the order or judgment. The notice must include a copy of the order or judgment.
(f)A lawyer who has been disciplined by the attorney-regulatory agency of another jurisdiction, or by a federal court or federal agency, must notify the chief disciplinary counsel within 30 days of the date of the order or judgment. The notice must include a copy of the order or judgment. For purposes of this paragraph, “discipline” by a federal court or federal agency means a public reprimand, suspension, or disbarment; the term does not include a letter of “warning” or “admonishment” or a similar advisory by a federal court or federal agency.
Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 8.03 (emphasis added).
§ 1.21Peer Assistance Program Alternative; Texas Lawyers’ Assistance Program
The Texas Lawyer’s Creed states that a lawyer must “abide by the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct” and “professionalism requires more than merely avoiding the violation of laws and rules.” The Texas Lawyer’s Creed—A Mandate for Professionalism, reprinted in Texas Rules of Court—State 735 (West 2022). The rule and the alternative method of reporting under rule 8.03(c) reflect the values of the Texas Lawyer’s Creed; rule 8.03(c) allows attorneys to help each other in certain circumstances without involving the disciplinary process. Under rule 8.03(c), in the case of impairment by chemical dependency on alcohol or drugs or by mental illness, the report may be made to an approved peer assistance program rather than to the appropriate disciplinary authority. Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 8.03(c). The only approved peer assistance program to which lawyers may make reports under rule 8.03(c) is the Texas Lawyers’ Assistance Program (TLAP). See Tex. Health & Safety Code § 467.001(1)(A); Board of Directors Meeting Minutes, Jan. 20–21, 1989, State Bar of Texas. TLAP is available to lawyers, judges, and law students twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, at 1-800-343-TLAP (8527). Information about attorney wellness and other related information is also available on TLAP’s website, www.tlaphelps.org. If a lawyer is required to report under rule 8.03(a), that is, if he has knowledge “or suspect[s]” another lawyer is “impaired by chemical dependency on alcohol or drugs or by mental illness,” the report may instead be made to TLAP and discharges the reporting lawyer’s duty to report. See Tex. Health & Safety Code § 467.005(b); Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 8.03(c). “Mental illness” encompasses Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, and other cognitive disorders. American Psychiatric Association, Diagnostic & Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 591 (5th ed. 2013).
Calling TLAP about a fellow lawyer in need is a way to help an attorney with a problem without getting that attorney into disciplinary trouble. The confidentiality of TLAP participants’ information is ensured under Tex. Health & Safety Code § 467.007 and by TLAP policy. All communications by any person with the program (including staff, committee members, and volunteers) and all records received or maintained by the program are strictly protected from disclosure. TLAP does not report lawyers to disciplinary authorities. While the majority of calls to TLAP are self-referrals, referrals may also come from partners, associates, office staff, judges, court personnel, clients, family members, and friends. TLAP is respectful and discreet in its efforts to help impaired lawyers who are referred, and TLAP never discloses the identity of a caller trying to get help for another attorney. Furthermore, the Texas Health and Safety Code provides that any person who “in good faith reports information or takes action in connection with a peer assistance program is immune from civil liability for reporting the information or taking the action.” Tex. Health & Safety Code § 467.008.
Approximately half of all assistance provided by TLAP is given to attorneys suffering from anxiety, depression, or burnout. Additionally, TLAP helps lawyers, law students, and judges suffering problems such as prescription and other drug use, eating disorders, gambling addictions, cognitive impairment, codependency, and many other serious issues.
Once a lawyer, law student, or judge is connected to TLAP, the resources that can be provided directly to that person include—
1.direct peer support from TLAP staff attorneys;
2.self-help information;
3.connection to a trained peer support attorney who has overcome the particular problem at hand and who has signed a confidentiality agreement;
4.information about attorney-only support groups such as Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers (weekly meetings for alcohol, drug, depression, and other issues) and monthly wellness groups (professional speakers on various wellness topics in a lecture format), which take place in major cities across the state;
5.referrals to lawyer-friendly and experienced therapists, medical professionals, and treatment centers; and
6.assistance with financial resources needed to get help, such as the Sheeran-Crowley Memorial Trust, which is available to help attorneys in financial need with the costs of mental-health or substance abuse care.
[Sections 1.22 through 1.30 are reserved for expansion.]
§ 1.31Nature of Legal Malpractice Action
Legal malpractice is typically based on negligence because such claims arise from an attorney’s alleged failure to exercise ordinary care. See Cosgrove v. Grimes, 774 S.W.2d 662, 665 (Tex. 1989); see also Goffney v. Rabson, 56 S.W.3d 186, 190 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 2001, pet. denied) (regardless of labeling, claim based on attorney’s failure to exercise degree of care, skill, and diligence equal to that an attorney would commonly possess and exercise is legal malpractice claim based on negligence). The weight of authority in Texas holds that a legal malpractice action is a common-law tort arising from an attorney’s negligence that breaches a duty to represent a client competently and that proximately causes damages to the client. See Woodburn v. Turley, 625 F.2d 589 (5th Cir. 1980); Oldham v. Sparks, 28 Tex. 425 (1866); Gabel v. Sandoval, 648 S.W.2d 398 (Tex. App.—San Antonio 1983, writ dism’d).
There is some Texas authority for breach-of-contract malpractice actions based on an attorney’s breach of agreement to perform legal services. See Bolton v. Foreman, 263 S.W.2d 618 (Tex. App.—Galveston 1953, writ ref’d n.r.e.); Kruegel v. Porter, 136 S.W. 801 (Tex. App. 1911), aff’d, 155 S.W. 174 (Tex. 1913). With the advent of advertising and specialization by attorneys in Texas, the historical basis for the courts’ reluctance to hold attorneys liable on an implied or express warranty theory may slowly erode.
The issue of whether the claims are claims for legal malpractice or something else is a question of law for the court to determine. Murphy v. Gruber, 241 S.W.3d 689, 692 (Tex. App.—Dallas 2007, pet. denied). For a discussion of the differentiation between legal malpractice and breach of fiduciary duty, see Gallagher v. Wilson, No. 2-09-376-CV, 2010 WL 3377787 (Tex. App.—Fort Worth Aug. 26, 2010, no pet.).
§ 1.32Elements of Legal Malpractice
§ 1.32:1Attorney-Client Relationship and Duty
To recover for legal malpractice, a plaintiff must prove four elements, which are—
1.the attorney owed a duty of care to the plaintiff (generally, this is shown by the presence of an attorney-client relationship between the plaintiff and the attorney);
2.the attorney violated that duty;
3.the attorney’s negligence was the proximate cause of injury to the plaintiff; and
4.damages.
See Cosgrove v. Grimes, 774 S.W.2d 662, 665 (Tex. 1989) (citing McKinley v. Stripling, 763 S.W.2d 407 (Tex. 1989)); see also Alexander v. Turtur & Associates, Inc., 146 S.W.3d 113 (Tex. 2004); Abetter Trucking Co. v. Arizpe, 113 S.W.3d 503, 508 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 2003, no pet.).
Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 1.01 states that an attorney shall not accept or continue employment in a legal matter that he knows or should know is beyond his competence unless another attorney competent to handle the matter is associated (with the client’s prior informed consent) or the advice or assistance of the attorney is required in an emergency and the attorney limits the advice and assistance to that which is reasonably necessary under the circumstances. The rule further provides that an attorney shall not neglect a legal matter entrusted to him or “frequently” fail to carry out completely the obligations that the attorney owes his clients. “Neglect” is defined as inattentiveness involving conscious disregard for the responsibilities owed a client.
In Cook v. Irion, 409 S.W.2d 475, 477 (Tex. App.—San Antonio 1966, no writ), disapproved on other grounds by Cosgrove, 774 S.W.2d at 665, the court set out the general duties of an attorney in representing a client:
Ordinarily when an attorney engages in the practice of the law and contracts to prosecute an action in behalf of his client, he impliedly represents that (1) he possesses the requisite degree of learning, skill, and ability necessary to the practice of his profession and which others similarly situated ordinarily possess; (2) he will exert his best judgment in the prosecution of the litigation entrusted to him; and (3) he will exercise reasonable and ordinary care and diligence in the use of his skill and in the application of his knowledge to his client’s cause.
§ 1.32:2Negligent Breach of Duty
Neglect Is Not Negligence: Neglect of a legal matter involves indifference and consistent failure to carry out the obligation that the attorney has assumed to the client or conscious disregard for responsibilities owed the client. Neglect is usually evidenced by more than a single act or omission. 61 A.B.A. J. 986 (1975) (A.B.A. Informal Op. 1273).
Good-Faith Errors in Judgment: The “error-in-judgment” rule was substantially rewritten in Cosgrove v. Grimes, 774 S.W.2d 662 (Tex. 1989). Cosgrove initially retained an attorney (Bass) to sue for a personal injury claim arising from an automobile accident. Bass left town and, according to Cosgrove, told Cosgrove he had turned the case over to attorney Grimes. However, Grimes testified that he first heard of the case when Cosgrove came to his office a mere five days before the statute of limitations was to have run. Cosgrove gave Grimes the information about the accident, including its location and the person to sue (one Timothy Pur-nell). Grimes testified that he found Cosgrove to be an intelligent man on whom he could rely for the basic facts. Suit was filed on the basis of the information. It later was discovered that Purnell was the passenger, not the driver, and that the petition stated the wrong location of the accident. Both the decision of the court of appeals (Cosgrove v. Grimes, 757 S.W.2d 508 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 1988)) and that of the supreme court detail the application of the error-in-judgment rule.
The rule, commonly known as the good-faith defense, has historically excused an attorney for any error in judgment if he acted in good faith and in an honest belief that the act or advice was well founded and in the best interests of the client. See Cook v. Irion, 409 S.W.2d 475 (Tex. App.—San Antonio 1966, no writ), disapproved by Cosgrove, 774 S.W.2d at 665. In Cook, the plaintiffs’ attorneys in a personal injury action sued only one of three potential defendants. An instructed verdict was granted against the plaintiffs after the two-year statute of limitations expired. In an appeal from the legal malpractice action, the court concluded that the good-faith defense applied and that the appellants had failed to establish the attorneys’ negligence.
The good-faith exception has been applied to an attorney’s failure to dispose of a client’s nonvested military retirement benefits in a divorce action and to warn him of a possible later partition action based on the unclear law at the time. Medrano v. Miller, 608 S.W.2d 781 (Tex. App.—San Antonio 1980, writ ref’d n.r.e.), disapproved by Cosgrove, 774 S.W.2d at 665. It has been held inapplicable in the following disciplinary proceedings: violating a disciplinary rule prohibiting receiving compensation from anyone other than one’s client (State v. Baker, 539 S.W.2d 367 (Tex. App.—Austin 1976, writ ref’d n.r.e.), disapproved by Cosgrove, 774 S.W.2d at 665); violating disciplinary rules against commingling (Archer v. State, 548 S.W.2d 71 (Tex. App.—El Paso 1977, writ ref’d n.r.e.)); and making false statements that suit had been filed and failing to file suit before the running of the statute of limitations (Hicks v. State, 422 S.W.2d 539 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 1967, writ ref’d n.r.e.), disapproved by Cosgrove, 774 S.W.2d at 665).
A review of the early cases involving the rule indicates quite clearly that it has been held to be a subjective test. However, Cosgrove mandates that the proper standard is the objective exercise of professional judgment:
There is no subjective good faith excuse for attorney negligence. A lawyer in Texas is held to the standard of care which would be exercised by a reasonably prudent attorney. The jury must evaluate his conduct based on the information the attorney has at the time of the alleged act of negligence. In some instances an attorney is required to make tactical or strategic decisions. Ostensibly, the good faith exception was created to protect this unique attorney work product. However, allowing the attorney to assert his subjective good faith, when the acts he pursues are unreasonable as measured by the reasonably competent practitioner standard, creates too great a burden for wronged clients to overcome. The instruction to the jury should clearly set out the standard for negligence in terms which encompass the attorney’s reasonableness in choosing one course of action over another.
If an attorney makes a decision which a reasonably prudent attorney could make in the same or similar circumstance, it is not an act of negligence even if the result is undesirable. Attorneys cannot be held strictly liable for all of their clients’ unfulfilled expectations. An attorney who makes a reasonable decision in the handling of a case may not be held liable if the decision later proves to be imperfect. The standard is an objective exercise of professional judgment, not the subjective belief that his acts are in good faith.
Cosgrove, 774 S.W.2d at 664–65. The court then specifically disapproved all cases to the contrary, including Cook, 409 S.W.2d 475; Medrano, 608 S.W.2d 781; Baker, 539 S.W.2d 367; and Hicks, 422 S.W.2d 539. Cosgrove, 774 S.W.2d at 665.
No Ensuring Desired Result: The duty to use reasonable care, diligence, and skill does not include ensuring or guaranteeing the desired result. Cosgrove, 774 S.W.2d at 665; Great American Indemnity Co. v. Dabney, 128 S.W.2d 496, 501 (Tex. App.—Amarillo 1939, writ dism’d judgm’t cor.).
To constitute malpractice, the attorney’s negligent breach of duty must proximately cause the client’s damages. See Patterson & Wallace v. Frazer, 79 S.W. 1077 (El Paso 1904, no writ). The two components of proximate cause are cause-in-fact and foreseeability. Berly v. D&L Security Services & Investigations, Inc., 876 S.W.2d 179, 182 (Tex. App.—Dallas 1994, writ denied). Cause-in-fact means that the attorney’s acts or omissions were a substantial factor in bringing about the injury that would not otherwise have occurred. See Two Thirty Nine Joint Venture v. Joe, 60 S.W.3d 896, 909 (Tex. App.—Dallas 2001), rev’d on other grounds, 145 S.W.3d 150 (Tex. 2004). Foreseeability of harm means that the attorney could anticipate that his actions could injure another. Two Thirty Nine Joint Venture, 60 S.W.3d at 909. Foreseeability does not require that the attorney anticipate the particular injury that eventually occurs. Brown v. Edwards Transfer Co., 764 S.W.2d 220, 223 (Tex. 1988).
When the client claims that some failure by the attorney caused an adverse result in prior litigation, the client must produce evidence from which a jury may reasonably infer that the attorney’s conduct caused the damages alleged. Haynes & Boone v. Bowser Bouldin, Ltd., 896 S.W.2d 179, 181 (Tex. 1995), abrogated by Ford Motor Co. v. Ledesma, 242 S.W.3d 32 (Tex. 2007). Thus, the client must prove that the initial suit would have been successful but for the attorney’s negligence and must show the amount that could have been collected on a successful judgment. Jackson v. Urban, Coolidge, Pennington & Scott, 516 S.W.2d 948, 949 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 1974, writ ref’d n.r.e.). Mere conjecture, guess, or speculation is not sufficient to establish that the attorney’s actions proximately caused the client’s injury. For example, in the 2007 decision of Baker Botts v. Cailloux, 224 S.W.3d 723 (Tex. App.—San Antonio 2007, pet. denied), the appellate court reversed a trial court judgment in favor of the client-plaintiff, finding that causation was not proven at trial.
In Baker Botts, the client was incapacitated and her attorney-in-fact sued the law firm and others claiming that, but for its actions, the client would not have signed a disclaimer. None of the trial witnesses had any knowledge of the client’s “true wishes or intentions.” See Baker Botts, 224 S.W.3d at 734. The court held that, at best, any assumption of what the client would have done is based on nothing more than conjecture. See Baker Botts, 224 S.W.3d at 734. Likewise, in Longaker v. Evans, 32 S.W.3d 725 (Tex. App.—San Antonio 2000, pet. withdrawn by agr.), the appellate court rejected as mere speculation any assumption as to the deceased client’s motives or intent when she terminated a trust whose proceeds would have benefited her son but instead went to the brother “advising” her to terminate the trust. In Longaker, the court noted that “while there is much speculation that the trust termination was not the result of [the decedent’s] free act, there is no competent evidence that [the beneficiary] wrongfully influenced or otherwise induced [the decedent] to do anything she did not otherwise intend to do.” Longaker, 32 S.W.3d at 734. Instead, “all indications are it was what [the decedent] wanted and there is no evidence of a contrary intent.” Longaker, 32 S.W.3d at 735. In the absence of competent evidence demonstrating the deceased client never intended to divest her son of the trust assets, the court determined that it was improper to make that assumption. Longaker, 32 S.W.3d at 734–35. The court therefore held there was no evidence of causation or damages. Longaker, 32 S.W.3d at 734–35.
Some courts have held that, as a general rule, expert testimony is needed to prove causation in a legal malpractice case. See Turtur & Associates, Inc. v. Alexander, 86 S.W.3d 646, 652 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 2001), rev’d on other grounds, 146 S.W.3d 113 (Tex. 2004); Onwuteaka v. Gill, 908 S.W.2d 276, 281 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 1995, no writ). When a layperson would ordinarily be competent to make a determination on causation, however, expert testimony is not required. See Turtur, 86 S.W.3d at 652 (expert testimony not required if causal connection is obvious); Arce v. Burrow, 958 S.W.2d 239, 252 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 1997), rev’d on other grounds, 997 S.W.2d 229 (Tex. 1999) (citing Delp v. Douglas, 948 S.W.2d 483, 495 (Tex. App.—Fort Worth 1997), rev’d on other grounds, 987 S.W.2d 879 (Tex. 1999)) (adopting rule previously applied in medical malpractice cases that expert testimony not required in cases where layperson competent to determine causation).
Note, however, that the determination of proximate cause differs in cases of malpractice involving the negligent handling of an appeal. Although the issue of proximate cause is usually a question of fact, the supreme court has determined that in a case of appellate legal malpractice it is a question of law. Millhouse v. Wiesenthal, 775 S.W.2d 626, 628 (Tex. 1989).
§ 1.32:4Client Must Be Damaged
Amount of Damages: Another essential element of a malpractice action is that the client must sustain damage as a result of the attorney’s negligence. Fireman’s Fund American Insurance Co. v. Patterson & Lamberty, Inc., 528 S.W.2d 67, 69–70 (Tex. App.—Tyler 1975, writ ref’d n.r.e.).
On proof that the attorney’s negligence proximately caused the client’s damage, proper recovery is the amount the client would have recovered from the original defendant. See Schlosser v. Tropoli, 609 S.W.2d 255 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 1980, writ ref’d n.r.e.) (upholding $100,000 judgment against attorney who allowed case to be dismissed for want of prosecution). The plaintiff in a legal malpractice case must also demonstrate that the alleged damages, including attorney’s fees, were proximately caused by the breach of a duty by the defendant. See Judwin Properties, Inc. v. Griggs & Harrison, 911 S.W.2d 498, 507 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 1995, writ denied).
In a malpractice action by a husband for the attorney’s failure to raise the issue of retirement benefits and secure the benefits for the husband at the time of the divorce, the court found that the plaintiff had suffered no damage. The husband was in no worse position because of the subsequent partition of the benefits than he would have been if the benefits had been properly divided in the divorce suit eight years before. Medrano v. Miller, 608 S.W.2d 781, 784 (Tex. App.—San Antonio 1980, writ ref’d n.r.e.), disapproved on other grounds by Cosgrove v. Grimes, 774 S.W.2d 662, 665 (Tex. 1989).
If the attorney is found liable, any payment collected from the original defendant is credited against damages assessed against the attorney. See Fireman’s Fund, 528 S.W.2d at 70.
If a judgment is entered against a client because of the attorney’s negligence, the client may recover the amount of the judgment from the attorney even if the client has not yet paid the judgment. Montfort v. Jeter, 567 S.W.2d 498, 499–500 (Tex. 1978).
Recovery in a malpractice action is not limited to actual damages but may also include damages for mental anguish and exemplary damages. See Montfort, 567 S.W.2d at 499–500.
Requirement of Actual Damages: The client must suffer actual damage in order to recover from a negligent attorney. In Philips v. Giles, 620 S.W.2d 750 (Tex. App.—Dallas 1981, no writ), the court upheld an attorney’s plea in abatement in a malpractice suit on the grounds that the client-plaintiff’s suit was premature. In the client’s divorce, the attorney had negotiated a settlement in which the husband agreed to pay the wife $500,000 in monthly installments over five years, and the attorney allegedly told the wife she would owe no taxes on the settlement. After the wife’s accountant told her that the monthly payments were taxable, she began paying taxes and sought reimbursement from the attorney. The appellate court held the malpractice action premature since no actual tax liability had been established. See also Cosgrove, 774 S.W.2d at 665–66 (damages based on amount of damages that could have been recovered from defendant in underlying suit but for attorney’s inadequate representation); Ballesteros v. Jones, 985 S.W.2d 485 (Tex. App.—San Antonio 1998, pet. denied) (damages based on difference between settlement received and best settlement possible, but for attorney’s inadequate representation).
Deciding when an action is premature, however, is not always straightforward. In Bailey v. Travis, 622 S.W.2d 143 (Tex. App.—Eastland 1981, writ ref’d n.r.e.), the court upheld a summary judgment for the attorney in a malpractice action. Travis had represented Bailey in a case, but Bailey hired a different attorney to appeal that case. While appeal was pending, Travis successfully sued Bailey for attorney’s fees from the first case. Bailey later sued Travis for malpractice in the first trial, but Travis successfully moved for summary judgment on the basis that, under Tex. R. Civ. P. 97, the malpractice action should have been filed as a compulsory counterclaim when Travis sued Bailey for attorney’s fees. In upholding the summary judgment, the appeals court held that Bailey had been damaged as a result of the alleged malpractice at the time he filed his answer in Travis’s suit for fees. Accordingly, said the court, “Bailey’s claim . . . had ripened into an enforceable cause of action, even though the full extent of his damages might not have been known.” Bailey, 622 S.W.2d at 144. See section 1.34:1 below for a discussion of when a cause of action accrues.
§ 1.32:5Additional Meritorious Action
In addition to establishing the defendant-attorney’s primary negligence, the plaintiff-client must often prove an additional meritorious lawsuit in a legal malpractice action to establish that he would have prevailed in the suit that is the subject of the malpractice action. The plaintiff-client must establish that the underlying cause of action was meritorious, that it would have resulted in a favorable judgment but for the attorney’s negligence, and that the judgment could have been collected. See Lynch v. Munson, 61 S.W. 140 (Galveston 1901, no writ).
§ 1.32:6Breach-of-Contract Action
Most Texas courts have not allowed the plaintiff to divide or fracture claims arising out of an attorney’s alleged bad legal advice or improper representation into separate claims for negligence, breach of contract, or fraud. See Murphy v. Gruber, 241 S.W.3d 689, 692–97 (Tex. App.—Dallas 2007, pet. denied) (discussion of Texas law precluding fracturing legal malpractice claims into multiple causes of action); Aiken v. Hancock, 115 S.W.3d 26, 28–29 (Tex. App.—San Antonio 2006, pet. denied) (affirming summary judgment on plaintiff’s claims of DTPA violations and breach of fiduciary duty and concluding that claims should not have been divided and were “thinly veiled” claims of legal malpractice); Goffney v. Rabson, 56 S.W.3d 186, 190–94 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 2001, pet. denied) (discussion and application of Texas law precluding “dividing legal malpractice claims” into claims of breach of contract, DTPA violations, and breach of fiduciary duty).
Rather, the courts have held that the “real issue remains one of whether the professional exercised that degree of care, skill, and diligence that professionals of ordinary skill and knowledge commonly possess and exercise.” Averitt v. PriceWaterhouseCoopers L.L.P., 89 S.W.3d 330, 333 (Tex. App.—Fort Worth 2002, no pet.); see also Kimleco Petroleum, Inc. v. Morrison & Shelton, 91 S.W.3d 921, 924 (Tex. App.—Fort Worth 2002, pet. denied) (“Generally, courts do not allow a case arising out of an attorney’s alleged bad legal advice or improper representation to be split out into separate claims for negligence, breach of contract, or fraud, because the real issue remains one of whether the professional exercised that degree of care, skill, and diligence that professionals of ordinary skill and knowledge commonly possess and exercise. . . . Regardless of the theory a plaintiff pleads, as long as the crux of the complaint is that the plaintiff’s attorney did not provide adequate legal representation, the claim is one for legal malpractice.”) (internal citation omitted); Ersek v. Davis & Davis, P.C., 69 S.W.3d 268, 274–75 (Tex. App.—Austin 2002, pet. denied) (policy reasons behind rule precluding the fracturing of legal malpractice claims); Goffney, 56 S.W.3d at 190–94; Sledge v. Alsup, 759 S.W.2d 1, 2 (Tex. App.—El Paso 1988, no writ).
Therefore, when the complaint is essentially that the attorney did not provide adequate legal representation, the claim is one for legal malpractice. See Greathouse v. McConnell, 982 S.W.2d 165, 172 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 1998, pet. denied); see also Averitt, 89 S.W.3d at 334 (cause of action based on attorney’s alleged failure to perform professional service is tort rather than breach of contract, regardless of whether written contract providing for professional services existed between attorney and client).
§ 1.33Who Can Sue for Legal Malpractice
§ 1.33:1No Private Actions under Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct
The Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct exist solely as professional sanctions and do not create a private cause of action for malpractice. Comment 15 in the preamble states: “These rules do not undertake to define standards of civil liability of lawyers for professional conduct. Violation of a rule does not give rise to a private cause of action nor does it create any presumption that a legal duty to a client has been breached.”
In Martin v. Trevino, 578 S.W.2d 763 (Tex. App.—Corpus Christi–Edinburg 1978, writ ref’d n.r.e.), the physician in a medical malpractice action filed a counterclaim against the attorney representing the plaintiff and alleged that the attorney knew the plaintiff’s claim was frivolous, in violation of former DR 7-102(A). The court dismissed the counterclaim for failure to state a cause of action, because the remedy provided in the Texas Code of Professional Responsibility is a public, not a private, one; it entitles the physician to file a grievance complaint but not a malpractice action. But see Quintero v. Jim Walter Homes, Inc., 709 S.W.2d 225, 233 (Tex. App.—Corpus Christi–Edinburg 1985, writ ref’d n.r.e.) (appellant should seek recovery in private cause of action against appellee’s attorney whose violation of Texas Code of Professional Responsibility rendered postjudgment settlement agreement unenforceable). (Effective January 1, 1990, the Texas Code of Professional Responsibility was repealed and replaced with the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct.)
§ 1.33:2Privity Generally Required
Texas law does not extend an attorney’s liability for negligence beyond the client to third persons. Bryan & Amidei v. Law, 435 S.W.2d 587, 593 (Tex. App.—Fort Worth 1968, no writ). In the United States, the requirement of privity in the legal malpractice context originated in National Savings Bank v. Ward, 100 U.S. 195 (1879). In Ward, the defendant-attorney issued a certificate to his client stating that the client had good title to a tract of real property. The client was able to obtain a loan from the plaintiff, Savings Bank, based on the erroneous certificate. The client, however, “was insolvent and had no title whatever to the premises.” Ward, 100 U.S. at 196. When the client defaulted on the loan, Savings Bank sued the attorney for malpractice. The trial court held that privity of contract, “arising from an actual employment of the defendant by the plaintiffs, is necessary to enable the latter to maintain the action.” Ward, 100 U.S. at 196.
In Belt v. Oppenheimer, Blend, Harrison & Tate, Inc., 192 S.W.3d 780 (Tex. 2006), the Texas Supreme Court held that a personal representative of a deceased client has the requisite privity to maintain an estate-planning malpractice claim against a decedent’s estate-planning attorney for negligence relating to the estate plan. In deciding whether the malpractice claim survives the client’s death, the court reasoned that an estate planner’s negligence results in the improper depletion of a client’s estate. Therefore, this type of claim involves injury to the decedent’s property. See Tex. Est. Code § 22.028 (defining the “personal property” of an estate to include interests in goods, money, and choses in action); see also Cleveland v. United States, No. 00-C-424, 2000 WL 1889640, at *3 (N.D. Ill. Dec. 28, 2000) (tort claim for financial loss resulting from estate-planning malpractice deemed action for damage to personal property); Williams v. Adams, 193 S.W. 404, 405 (Tex. App.—Texarkana 1917, writ ref’d) (tort claim alleging fraud, which resulted in financial loss to plaintiff, survived death of defendant because it involved wrongful acquisition of property). When an attorney’s malpractice results in financial loss, the aggrieved client is fully compensated by recovery of that loss and the client may not recover damages for mental anguish or other personal injuries. See Douglas v. Delp, 987 S.W.2d 879, 885 (Tex. 1999). Thus, estate-planning malpractice claims seeking recovery for pure economic loss are limited to recovery for property damage. See also O’Donnell v. Smith, 197 S.W.3d 394 (Tex. 2006).
But in Chapman Children’s Trust v. Porter & Hedges, L.L.P., 32 S.W.3d 429, 441–42 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 2000, pet. denied), an appellate court held that neither a trust nor an estate is a legal entity and, therefore, neither should be considered the client (because trusts were not clients, trusts have “no right of recovery, under any cause of action,” as a matter of law, for conduct in connection with its representation of trustee).
In McCamish, Martin, Brown & Loeffler v. F.E. Appling Interests, 991 S.W.2d 787 (Tex. 1999), the court held that, although persons not in privity with an attorney cannot sue the attorney for legal malpractice, a nonclient may sue an attorney for negligent misrepresentation without regard to the nonclient’s lack of privity with the attorney.
§ 1.34Defenses to Legal Malpractice
§ 1.34:1Statute of Limitations
In Texas, malpractice claims are tort actions governed by the two-year statute of limitations, Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.003. If the suit is brought on a legitimate breach-of-contract theory based on a contractual relationship, it is governed by the four-year statute of limitations, Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.051. However, malpractice actions have been barred by the two-year statute even though the pleadings were couched in breach-of-contract language and filed within four years of the alleged malpractice. See Woodburn v. Turley, 625 F.2d 589 (5th Cir. 1980); Gabel v. Sandoval, 648 S.W.2d 398 (Tex. App.—San Antonio 1983, writ dism’d); Citizens State Bank v. Shapiro, 575 S.W.2d 375 (Tex. App.—Tyler 1978, writ ref’d n.r.e.).
Beginning of Period: As a general rule, the statute of limitations begins to run in legal malpractice actions when the tort occurs. This rule has been interpreted variously as the time the negligence occurs, Crawford v. Davis, 148 S.W.2d 905 (Tex. App.—Eastland 1941, no writ), and as the time the plaintiff’s damages are sustained as a result of the negligence, Atkins v. Crosland, 417 S.W.2d 150 (Tex. 1967). The current rule is the one stated in Atkins, that the period begins when “the force wrongfully put in motion produces the injury, the invasion of personal or property rights accruing at that time.” Atkins, 417 S.W.2d at 153.
In a malpractice action for failing to secure an express lien in a deed and thus subordinating the client’s lien, the court determined that the limitations period began when the faulty deed was filed, not when the plaintiff later suffered damage as a result of the negligence. Cox v. Rosser, 579 S.W.2d 73 (Tex. App.—Eastland 1979, writ ref’d n.r.e.).
When an attorney negligently advised a client to execute a release that inadvertently surrendered the client’s entire cause of action, the limitations period began when the client detrimentally relied on the attorney’s advice and signed the release. The times when the advice was given and when the damage occurred were not controlling. Pack v. Taylor, 584 S.W.2d 484 (Tex. App.—Fort Worth 1979, writ ref’d n.r.e.); see also Zidell v. Bird, 692 S.W.2d 550 (Tex. App.—Austin 1985, no writ) (discussing rule for determining when negligence cause of action accrues).
“Discovery Rule”: Before 1988, courts had declined to extend the “discovery rule” to legal malpractice actions. In 1988, the supreme court imposed the discovery rule in legal malpractice actions. See Willis v. Maverick, 760 S.W.2d 642 (Tex. 1988). Used most frequently in medical malpractice actions, the rule begins the limitations period when the plaintiff discovers an injury if the plaintiff could not know of the injury at the time it occurred.
Statute Tolled While Underlying Lawsuit Appealed: When an attorney allegedly commits malpractice while providing legal services in the prosecution or defense of a claim that results in litigation, the statute of limitations on the malpractice claim against the attorney is tolled until all appeals on the underlying claim are exhausted or the litigation is otherwise finally concluded. Apex Towing Co. v. Tolin, 41 S.W.3d 118, 119 (Tex. 2001). Limitations are tolled for the second cause of action because the viability of the second cause depends on the outcome of the first. Hughes v. Mahaney & Higgins, 821 S.W.2d 154 (Tex. 1991).
Fraudulent Concealment: In Anderson v. Sneed, 615 S.W.2d 898 (Tex. App.—El Paso 1981, no writ), the court considered the effect of fraudulent concealment by the attorney on the running of the period of limitations. In a personal injury case, the client’s cause of action against the attorney arose two years after the date of the client’s accident, for on that date the client’s personal injury suit was barred by limitations. The client did not file the legal malpractice action within two years from the time his cause of action actually accrued against the attorney, but the appeals court remanded the case to the trial court to determine whether the attorney had fraudulently concealed his negligence from the plaintiff. The running of the statute is tolled when the attorney fraudulently conceals the negligence from the client. McClung v. Johnson, 620 S.W.2d 644 (Tex. App.—Dallas 1981, writ ref’d n.r.e.); see also Crean v. Chozick, 714 S.W.2d 61 (Tex. App.—San Antonio 1986, writ ref’d n.r.e.) (client’s allegations that attorney failed to disclose legal effect of signed requests for admissions raised material fact issue on concealment, thus tolling statute of limitations).
The good-faith defense is the equivalent of the error-in-judgment rule. See section 1.32:2 above.
§ 1.35Potential Areas for Legal Malpractice
“[A]t least 20 percent and perhaps in excess of 30 percent of all malpractice claims and counterclaims arise directly or indirectly from disputes over fees.” Jeffrey M. Smith, The Pitfalls of Suing Clients for Fees, 69 A.B.A. J. 776, 778 (1983). “Our experience indicates that from ten to fifteen percent of all legal malpractice claims are direct or indirect results of fee disputes. Many times the attorney who sues for fees spends more nonbillable hours in defense of a negligence counterclaim than the original suit for fees was worth.” Texas Lawyer’s Insurance Exchange advertisement, 46 Tex. B.J. 215 (1983).
§ 1.35:2Failure to Convey Settlement Offer to Client
Under Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 1.02(a), an attorney must inform clients of offers of settlement made by the opposing party. See also Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 1.02 cmts. 2, 3.
In Smiley v. Manchester Insurance & Indemnity Co., 375 N.E.2d 118, 122–23 (Ill. 1978), an attorney’s failure to convey a settlement agreement to his client was found to be negligence as a matter of law.
§ 1.35:3Failure to Timely Pursue Client’s Claim
An attorney who negligently lets the statute of limitations run on a client’s cause of action becomes liable for any amount the client could have collected from the original defendant. Patterson & Wallace v. Frazer, 79 S.W. 1077 (Tex. App. 1904, no writ); Fox v. Jones, 14 S.W. 1007 (Tex. Ct. App. 1889).
§ 1.36Procedures to Help Avoid Malpractice Actions
The procedures described below can help reduce the chances of facing a malpractice claim.
To avoid missing important deadlines, every firm should have an effective calendaring system that includes all cases the firm handles, not just those in the litigation section. Deadlines are crucial to all types of law practice. For example, one attorney postponed drafting a will for so long that the testator died, and the expected beneficiary sued for malpractice. See Estate of Arlitt v. Paterson, 995 S.W.2d 713 (Tex. App.—San Antonio 1999, pet. denied). When a tickler system is set up so that every file comes up for regular review, problems like this can be avoided. Files coming up for review may need no action other than being “re-tickled,” but the review provides the attorney a good occasion to write the client that things are proceeding as expected or to explain why no immediate action is necessary. The system also provides incentive to make progress on files that are not urgent and that would otherwise remain idle for too long.
§ 1.36:2Engagement and Nonengagement Letters
As with any representation, a well drafted engagement letter and fee agreement can both provide protection to the attorney and be beneficial to the client. The agreement should set out the scope of the engagement as well as the method of calculating and collecting fees. If entering into a joint representation of, for example, co-applicants for guardianship, the agreement should also discuss potential conflicts of interest and the expected course of action in the event of an actual future conflict. The agreement may also contain dispute resolution provisions. See form 1-1 in this chapter for a sample engagement letter and fee agreement.
Attorneys should always write nonengagement letters when they decline or withdraw from employment and should keep a permanent file of these letters. This practice can eliminate many potential malpractice actions based on claims that an attorney failed to pursue a claim for a client.
As a conservative estimate, files should be kept intact for four years after a matter is completed, because most malpractice claims are filed within two to four years of that time. Some files should be kept for even longer, however, such as those involving a minor and those in which the client was particularly troublesome. Also, files concerning clients who refused legal advice should be retained and should contain a copy of the letter to the client detailing the advice given, reasons for the advice, and confirmation that the client declined to accept the advice. Records of clients’ trust accounts must be maintained for at least five years after final disposition of the underlying matter. Tex. Rules Disciplinary P. R. 15.10; see also Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 1.14(a).
§ 1.36:4Supervision of Support Staff and New Associates
Attorneys need to supervise their support staff and new associates closely; if, for example, a law clerk arrives at the wrong answer to an important question, the attorney is the one who will take the wrong action and then face a possible malpractice suit. Clerks should be told to document their research so that its accuracy can be verified, and new secretaries should be responsible for filing petitions only if the attorney is certain that they know where and by when to file them. In short, all personnel must know both substantively and procedurally what their jobs require. Careful screening and interviewing of applicants can help, of course, as can hiring only professional secretaries and paralegals.
Many malpractice suits result from mistakes made during periods of personal stress, and some attorneys let themselves become overextended or burdened with too many cases and other responsibilities so that they lose both perspective and effectiveness. For their clients’ sake as well as their own, many attorneys would be wise to slow down the pace and offer each other support when signs of stress, such as abuse of alcohol or other drugs, become evident. The Texas Lawyers’ Assistance Program, which may be contacted at 1-800-343-8527, is an excellent resource for obtaining immediate peer support for attorneys whose lives or practices are suffering because of physical or mental illness, including substance abuse or emotional distress. See section 1.21 above.
§ 1.37Standard of Care for Specialists
All Texas attorneys, whether specialized or not, appear now to be under the same standard of care. However, attorneys who have been board certified as specialists in Texas and who hold themselves out to the public as specialists may eventually be held to a higher standard, perhaps the same standard of care as that applied to similar specialists.
Texas courts have held in medical malpractice cases that specialists must exercise the same degree of skill as similar specialists, rather than the skill of a general practitioner. King v. Flamm, 442 S.W.2d 679 (Tex. 1969).
At least one other jurisdiction has held legal specialists to a higher standard of care than the ordinary practitioner. In Wright v. Williams, 47 Cal. App. 3d 802, 810, 121 Cal. Rptr. 194, 199 (1975), a case involving a maritime law specialist, the California court of appeals held:
One who holds himself out as a legal specialist performs in similar circumstances to other specialists but not to general practitioners of the law. We thus conclude that a lawyer holding himself out to the public and the profession as specializing in an area of the law must exercise a skill, prudence, and diligence exercised by other specialists of ordinary skill and capacity specializing in the same field.
§ 1.38Standard of Care for Guardian Ad Litem
The court of appeals held in Byrd v. Woodruff, 891 S.W.2d 689 (Tex. App.—Dallas 1994, writ dism’d by agr.), that a guardian ad litem appointed under Tex. R. Civ. P. 173 (amended in 2005) has, in some cases, fiduciary duties to the minor and can be held liable for a breach of those duties. Although recognizing that the relationship of the guardian ad litem to the controversy is only that of an appointee of the court and not that of a participant, the Dallas court held that a person acting as guardian ad litem may be held liable for negligence in performing his duty. The court noted that a guardian is charged with the duty to properly and prudently manage and control the ward and the ward’s estate, citing former section 110(g) of the Texas Probate Code, and that a personal representative has a fiduciary duty to maintain and preserve the estate’s assets. Further, the guardian ad litem has a duty to evaluate the damages suffered by the minor, the adequacy of the settlement, the proposed apportionment of settlement proceeds among the interested parties, the proposed manner of disbursement of the settlement proceeds, and the amounts of attorney’s fees charged by the minor’s attorney. Byrd, 891 S.W.2d at 707.
The Byrd court rejected the theory that the guardian ad litem is an officer of the court and therefore under the protection of judicial immunity from civil liability. Rather, the guardian ad litem is the personal representative of the minor’s interests whose actions and decisions are not under the direction of the court. The court reasoned that if the guardian ad litem were granted complete judicial immunity, the minor would be denied any protection against acts of incompetence or bad faith committed by his guardian ad litem.
As a result, a guardian ad litem who has replaced a minor’s next friend can be liable in a civil action for damages resulting from a breach of his duties as a personal representative of the minor. Byrd, 891 S.W.2d at 710.
Note that since the facts under Byrd arose, Texas Probate Code section 681 (now Tex. Est. Code §§ 1104.351–.358) was enacted and section 110 was repealed. In addition to Tex. R. Civ. P. 173.1–.7, Texas Estates Code chapter 1054, subchapter B, now authorizes the appointment of guardians ad litem. This section specifically states that a guardian ad litem is an officer of the court. Tex. Est. Code § 1054.054(a). See section 1.41 below for discussion of a claim against an attorney for the next friend in the same case.
Further, the court in Delcourt v. Silverman, 919 S.W.2d 777 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 1996, writ denied), held that a guardian ad litem appointed under Texas Family Code section 11.10 (now section 107.002) is absolutely immune from liability for actions taken pursuant to and within the scope of employment, provided that the appointment contemplates the ad litem’s acting as an extension of the court. However, under Family Code section 107.009, a guardian ad litem may be liable for civil damages arising from an action taken, a recommendation made, or an opinion given with conscious indifference, with reckless disregard to the safety of another, in bad faith, or with malice or that is grossly negligent or willfully wrongful. Tex. Fam. Code § 107.009.
The Texas legislature has enacted protection for guardians ad litem serving under Estates Code section 1054.051, 1102.001, or 1202.054. The statute provides that a guardian ad litem who is appointed to represent the interests of an incapacitated person in a guardianship proceeding involving the creation, modification, or termination of a guardianship is not liable for civil damages arising from a recommendation made or an opinion given in the capacity of guardian ad litem unless such recommendation or opinion is willfully wrongful, given with conscience indifference or reckless disregard to the safety of another, given in bad faith or with malice, or grossly negligent. Tex. Est. Code § 1054.056.
§ 1.39Standard of Care for Attorney Ad Litem
The Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct address the dilemma an attorney faces if a client is suffering from a mental disability. If an attorney believes his client has diminished capacity and action is required to protect the client, the attorney may take reasonable protective action. Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 1.16. This may include consulting with others that have the capacity to protect the client and, when appropriate, seeking the appointment of a guardian ad litem, attorney ad litem, amicus attorney, or conservator. The attorney may also submit an information letter to the court with jurisdiction to initiate guardianship proceedings for the client. Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 1.16.
Practice Pointer: Note that the Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct were amended in 2021, adding rule 1.16. The new rule calls on the attorney to “as far as reasonably possible, maintain a normal client-lawyer relationship with the client” when the client’s capacity to make decisions is diminished. The amendments eliminated rule 1.02(g), which required the attorney to take protective action in circumstances in which the client lacked legal competence and action was needed to protect the client. See section 1.21 above.
An attorney is permitted to reveal confidential information in order to comply with a court order, a disciplinary rule, or other law. Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 1.05(c)(4). The attorney may reveal unprivileged client information if it is necessary to represent the client effectively. Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 1.05(d)(2)(i). These rules do not, however, prohibit an attorney ad litem from defending the client in a guardianship proceeding, since the disability already has been brought to the court’s attention.
Furthermore, to the extent that a guardian or other advocate becomes aware of any specific acts of abuse, neglect, or exploitation, he is required to report it to the Texas Health and Human Services Commission and Texas Department of Family and Protective Services. See Tex. Hum. Res. Code § 48.051. Section 48.051(c) provides that the duty imposed to report the abuse, neglect, or exploitation includes a person “whose knowledge concerning possible abuse, neglect, or exploitation is obtained during the scope of the person’s employment or whose professional communications are generally confidential, including an attorney, clergy member, medical practitioner, social worker, employee or member of a board that licenses or certifies a professional, and mental health professional.” See Tex. Hum. Res. Code § 48.051. Therefore, not only is a guardian required to report such abuse, neglect, or exploitation, but so are an attorney ad litem, guardian ad litem, and employee of the ward’s trust as well. The required report may be made orally or in writing but must include the following:
1.the name, age, and address of the elderly or disabled person;
2.the name and address of any person responsible for the elderly or disabled person’s care;
3.the nature and extent of the elderly or disabled person’s condition;
4.the basis of the reporter’s knowledge; and
5.any other relevant information.
See Tex. Hum. Res. Code § 48.051(d).
A guardian or other person is subject to criminal charges if he fails to report the abuse, neglect, or exploitation as required by Human Resources Code section 48.051. See Tex. Hum. Res. Code § 48.052(a). If a failure to report is discovered, he may be charged with a class A misdemeanor or, in some instances, a state jail felony. See Tex. Hum. Res. Code § 48.052(a).
If the victim was a resident of a nursing home, the guardian or other person should also contact the Department of Health and Human Services at 1-800-458-9858.
Although Tex. Est. Code § 1001.001 recognizes that a guardianship should be designed to encourage the development or maintenance of maximum self-reliance and independence in the incapacitated person, an attorney ad litem representing a disabled client in a guardianship must still counsel the client to the extent possible, advise him of his legal rights, and determine if a preference exists about the selection of a guardian. In general, the attorney ad litem is required to discuss with the client to the greatest extent possible the law and facts of the case, the ward’s legal options regarding disposition of the case, the grounds on which the guardianship is sought, and whether alternatives to guardianship would meet the ward’s needs and avoid the need for the appointment of a guardian. Tex. Est. Code § 1054.004(a).
An attorney or a guardian ad litem who is an attorney is subject to the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct. According to the rules, a communication is considered ex parte if the contact is made for the purpose of influencing the court concerning the matter other than—
1.in the course of official proceedings in the case;
2.in writing if the attorney or guardian ad litem promptly delivers a copy of the writing to opposing counsel or to the adverse party if that party is not represented by an attorney; or
3.orally on adequate notice to opposing counsel or to the adverse party if that party is not represented by an attorney.
Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 3.05(b).
Similarly, the Texas Code of Judicial Conduct prohibits a judge from ex parte communications with attorneys or parties involved in a case. Tex. Code Jud. Conduct, Canon 3B(8), reprinted in Tex. Gov’t Code Ann., tit. 2, subtit. G, app. B.
§ 1.41Responsibility of Guardian’s Attorney to Ward
Overview: The age-old question of who is the client has become increasingly complicated in recent years. Generally, the attorney-client relationship is a contractual relationship whereby the attorney agrees to render professional services for the client. Parker v. Carnahan, 772 S.W.2d 151, 156 (Tex. App.—Texarkana 1989, writ denied). The resulting contract may be either expressed or implied from the actions of the parties. Once established, the attorney-client relationship imposes numerous duties on the attorney. These include the duties to use the utmost good faith in dealings with the client, to maintain the confidences of the client, and to use reasonable care in rendering professional services to the client. Perez v. Kirk & Carrigan, 822 S.W.2d 261, 265 (Tex. App.—Corpus Christi–Edinburg 1991, writ denied); see also Yaklin v. Glusing, Sharpe & Krueger, 875 S.W.2d 380, 383 (Tex. App.—Corpus Christi–Edinburg 1994, no writ). For a discussion of representing clients with diminished capacity, see sections 1.21 and 1.39 above.
Possible Existence of Attorney-Client Relationship: An issue has arisen in recent years concerning whether an attorney representing a guardian also represents the ward. At least one Texas court has recognized that a guardian’s retention of an attorney for a ward establishes an attorney-client relationship as between the attorney and the ward. See Daves v. Commission for Lawyer Discipline, 952 S.W.2d 573 (Tex. App.—Amarillo 1997, writ denied). In Daves, the parents of a minor retained an attorney to file an application to be appointed the minor’s legal guardians. The parents then also sought permission from the guardianship court to allow the attorney to represent the minor ward in pursuing a cause of action for personal injuries. After the settlement of a fee and other disputes with the parents’ prior attorney, the attorney was charged with violating the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct and subsequently suspended from the practice of law. The violations included conflicts of interest in the representation of both the parents and the minor ward.
The attorney first alleged that he had no attorney-client relationship with the minor ward as a matter of law because he was not “court-appointed.” Daves, 952 S.W.2d at 576. The appellate court, however, held that comment 12 to then current rule 1.02 of the Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct does not provide that an attorney must be court-appointed to represent a person under a disability. Daves, 952 S.W.2d at 577 (comments to rule 1.02 apply only to that particular rule and not to the other rules, including those regarding conflicts of interest). The court further held, regardless of rule 1.02, that the actions of the attorney and the parents clearly demonstrated that the attorney was representing the minor ward. The court held that “[t]he attorney-client relationship may be implied if the parties by their conduct manifest an intent to create such a relationship.” Daves, 952 S.W.2d at 577. Finally, the court held that even if rule 1.02 did apply, the parents, as coguardians, had a duty to the minor ward to protect the child’s legal interests, and they retained the attorney to assist them in pursuing the minor ward’s claims. Therefore, even though retained by the parents, the attorney “had a duty not only to the Parents as co-guardians, but also to the Child whose claims he was asserting, and the attorney-client relationship was established between the Child and [the attorney] under comment 12 to Rule 1.02.” Daves, 952 S.W.2d at 577.
The possible existence of an attorney-client relationship between the guardian’s attorney and the ward could also be argued based on Texas decisions that have found an attorney-client relationship existed between a minor child and the attorney retained by the child’s next friend. In Byrd v. Woodruff, 891 S.W.2d 689 (Tex. App.—Dallas 1994, writ dism’d by agr.), a minor’s parents, as next friend, retained an attorney to pursue a cause of action relating to personal injuries incurred by the minor child. The court also appointed a guardian ad litem to represent the minor’s best interests. A settlement was ultimately reached, and the minor’s settlement proceeds were to be placed in a trust for the benefit of the minor. The court approved the proposed settlement. On reaching majority, the emancipated minor sued the attorney for negligence, legal malpractice, and breach of fiduciary duty. Byrd, 891 S.W.2d at 697. The trial court granted the attorney’s motion for summary judgment, resulting in the dismissal of the emancipated minor’s claims. Reversing the trial court, the court of appeals held that the attorney acted as the minor’s attorney, and an attorney-client relationship existed between the attorney and the minor. As such, the attorney “had a duty to protect [the minor’s] interests.” Byrd, 891 S.W.2d at 701. This duty included seeing that the minor’s assets were properly managed and protected for her benefit. The appellate court further held that the attorney could be liable for a third party’s negligence or wrongful conduct when the conduct is foreseeable. Byrd, 891 S.W.2d at 701; see also Broughton v. Humble Oil & Refining Co., 105 S.W.2d 480, 485 (Tex. App.—El Paso 1937, writ ref’d) (attorney retained by agent deemed to be attorney of principal’s selection). See section 1.38 above for a discussion of the claim against the guardian ad litem in Byrd.
Although a Texas case directly on point has yet to be decided as of the publication date of this edition, Texas could follow the lead of other states that have recognized the existence of an attorney-client relationship between the attorney and both the guardian and the ward. Schwartz v. Cortelloni, 685 N.E.2d 871 (Ill. 1997) (holding that attorney represented ward by representing guardian in sale of ward’s property interest); see Fickett v. Superior Court, 558 P.2d 988, 990 (Ariz. Ct. App. [Div. 2] 1976) (rejecting attorney’s claim of no privity, court found that attorney who undertakes to represent guardian of incompetent person assumes relationship not only with guardian but also with ward). Like Texas, those states follow the general rule that an attorney owes a duty only to the person who is his client. However, those states have recognized that an exception must exist when an attorney is hired by a client specifically for the purpose of benefiting a third party. See Schwartz, 685 N.E.2d at 875. In determining whether a duty is owed to a third party, the key factor to be considered is whether the attorney acted at the direction or on behalf of the client for the benefit of the third party. Schwartz, 685 N.E.2d at 876; Pelham v. Griesheimer, 440 N.E.2d 96, 99 (Ill. 1982).
Possible Duties Regardless of Privity: Texas law has long held that if an attorney acting for his client participates in fraudulent activities, his actions are “foreign to the duties of an attorney.” But for years the issue was that either fraud was excluded from the attorney immunity defense or was an exception to it. Some courts of appeals have broadly held that the attorney immunity defense does not extend to an attorney’s knowing participation in fraudulent activities on his client’s behalf. E.g., Toles v. Toles, 113 S.W.3d 899, 911 (Tex. App.—Dallas 2003, no pet.); Querner v. Rindfuss, 966 S.W.2d 661, 666 (Tex. App.—San Antonio 1988, pet. denied) (“An attorney . . . is liable if he knowingly commits a fraudulent act or knowingly enters into a conspiracy to defraud a third person”). But other courts have provided a limited exception when the claims involve situations where the attorney’s “knowing commission of a fraudulent act” is “outside the scope of his legal representation of the client.” See Cantey Hanger, LLP v. Byrd, 467 S.W.3d 477, 483 (2015). In Cantey Hanger, LLP, the Texas Supreme Court finally adopted the more limited recognition and held that fraud is not an exception to attorney immunity. Rather, the defense does not extend to fraudulent conduct that is outside the scope of an attorney’s legal representation of his client. Thus, an attorney who pleads the affirmative defense of attorney immunity has the burden to demonstrate that his alleged wrongful conduct, regardless of whether it is labeled fraudulent, is part of the discharge of his duties to his client. E.g., Cantey Hanger, LLP at 483 (citing Dixon Financial Services, Ltd. v. Greenberg, Peden, Siegmyer & Oshman, P.C., No. 01-06-00696-CV, 2008 WL 746548, at *9 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] Mar. 20, 2008, pet. denied); see also Alpert v. Crain, Caton & James, P.C., 178 S.W.3d 398, 408 (Tex. App.—Houston [1st Dist.] 2005, pet. denied) (holding that claim against an attorney for conspiracy to defraud was not actionable if “the complained-of actions involve the filing of lawsuits and pleadings, the providing of legal advice upon which the client acted, and awareness of settlement negotiations—in sum, acts taken and communications made to facilitate the rendition of legal services to [the client]”).
Therefore, depending on the facts of the case, an attorney could be held liable for fraud, conversion, conspiracy, unjust enrichment, breach of fiduciary duty, and constructive fraud. Querner, 966 S.W.2d at 670. But a claim of fraud will require a showing of the attorney’s knowing participation. See Cantey Hanger, LLP, 467 S.W.3d at 483. Each claim must, however, be considered in light of the actions shown to have been taken by the attorney to determine whether he can be held liable for such actions. If the facts show that the attorney actively engaged in fraudulent conduct in furtherance of some conspiracy or otherwise, the attorney can be held liable. Querner, 966 S.W.2d at 666.
Similarly, the attorney may also be held liable if the facts show that an informal fiduciary or confidential relationship exists. Querner, 966 S.W.2d at 667. The supreme court has recognized the difficulty of formulating a definition of the term fiduciary that is sufficient to cover all cases. Crim Truck & Tractor Co. v. Navistar International Transportation Corp., 823 S.W.2d 591, 593 n.3 (Tex. 1992). In Texas, certain informal relations may give rise to a fiduciary duty. These informal fiduciary relationships have been called “confidential relationships” and may arise “where one person trusts in and relies upon another, whether the relation is a moral, social, domestic or merely personal one.” Confidential relationships exist in those cases “in which influence has been acquired and abused, in which confidence has been reposed and betrayed.” The existence of confidential relationships is usually a question of fact. Crim Truck & Tractor Co., 823 S.W.2d at 594.
The unique relationship between the attorney representing the guardian and the ward raises issues concerning whether the guardian could be held liable to the ward in the absence of an attorney-client relationship. Consider the following hypothetical situation: A wife has been serving as guardian for her husband for years. The wife asks the attorney representing her as guardian to seek authority for her to withdraw all the community property from the estate of the husband ward under chapter 1353 of the Texas Estates Code, which allows for management of the community estate outside of court supervision and control. See Tex. Est. Code ch. 1353. The attorney knows that the wife is considering divorcing her husband and believes she will attempt to dispose of all community assets before divorce.
In this situation, the attorney has sufficient knowledge to be aware that the wife is seeking to manage and dispose of the ward’s assets outside the guardianship. If the attorney is successful in helping the wife gain unsupervised control of the community estate, does the attorney expose himself to claims of fraudulent conduct, conversion of the ward’s assets, and conspiracy, as well as allegations that an informal fiduciary or confidential relationship existed between the attorney and the ward? If so, does the attorney breach his fiduciary duty to the ward?
Consider another increasingly common situation in which the guardian is about to convert or has converted the ward’s assets. Does the attorney have a duty to advise the court of the theft? Rule 1.05(c)(7) and (8) of the Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct authorizes the disclosure, because conversion is a criminal or fraudulent act. See Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 1.05. The rules do not, however, mandate disclosure. This raises the question whether the special relationship between the attorney and the guardian imposes such a duty in light of the attorney’s ability to advise the court presiding over the guardianship and thus avoid or mitigate any damages.
Until this issue is decided by the supreme court, practitioners should be aware that certain actions could increase the potential exposure to such claims. For example, if the attorney signed the pleadings as attorney for the guardianship, it could be argued that he intended to represent the guardianship rather than the individual serving as guardian. See Querner, 966 S.W.2d 661. In Querner, the appellate court noted the fact that the attorney, even though retained by an executor, characterized his representation as “the attorney for the estate,” which raised a fact question whether there was privity or a fiduciary relationship between the attorney and the beneficiaries of the estate. Querner, 966 S.W.2d at 667.
[Sections 1.42 through 1.50 are reserved for expansion.]
V. Texas Deceptive Trade Practices–Consumer Protection Act (DTPA) Liability
§ 1.51Application of Act to Legal Services
In 1993 the legislature added a professional services exemption to the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices–Consumer Protection Act (DTPA), thus reversing a case-law trend toward holding that professional services are subject to liability under the DTPA. See DeBakey v. Staggs, 612 S.W.2d 924 (Tex. 1981) (attorney’s unconscionable conduct actionable under DTPA); Melody Home Manufacturing Co. v. Barnes, 741 S.W.2d 349 (Tex. 1987) (breach of implied warranty to repair in good and workmanlike manner actionable under DTPA); but see Dennis v. Allison, 698 S.W.2d 94 (Tex. 1985) (implied warranties do not include professional conduct). The Texas Business and Commerce Code provides that “[n]othing in this subchapter shall apply to a claim for damages based on the rendering of a professional service, the essence of which is the providing of advice, judgment, opinion, or similar professional skill.” Tex. Bus. & Com. Code § 17.49(c).
But the section also provides exceptions to the exemption. The following acts would bring professional services back into the DTPA: an express misrepresentation of a material fact that cannot be characterized as advice, judgment, or opinion; a failure to disclose information in violation of Tex. Bus. & Com. Code § 17.46(b)(24); an unconscionable action or course of action that cannot be characterized as advice, judgment, or opinion; a breach of an express warranty that cannot be characterized as advice, judgment, or opinion; or a violation of section 17.46(b)(26). Tex. Bus. & Com. Code § 17.49(c). These exceptions apply to an action against both a professional rendering services and any entity that could be held vicariously liable for the professional’s conduct. Tex. Bus. & Com. Code § 17.49(d).
All DTPA actions must be brought within two years of the date on which the act or practice occurred or within two years after the consumer discovered or reasonably should have discovered the act or practice. This period may be extended for 180 days if the plaintiff proves that failure to timely commence the action was caused by the defendant’s knowingly engaging in conduct calculated to induce the plaintiff to refrain from or postpone commencing the action. Tex. Bus. & Com. Code § 17.565.
[Sections 1.53 through 1.60 are reserved for expansion.]
A grievance may be filed with the State Bar of Texas by any person who believes that a rule of professional conduct has been violated by an attorney. In most cases, grievances must be filed within four years from the time of the alleged act of misconduct. See Tex. Rules Disciplinary P. R. 17.06.
When a complainant signs the grievance form, the attorney-client privilege is waived in order for the chief disciplinary counsel to investigate the complaint. See Tex. R. Evid. 503(d)(3); Tex. Disciplinary Rules Prof’l Conduct R. 1.05.
When the chief disciplinary counsel’s office receives a grievance, an initial review is made to determine whether the grievance alleges facts that, if true, would constitute a violation of the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct. If the grievance does not allege such facts, it is dismissed as an inquiry, and the attorney will receive notification from the chief disciplinary counsel’s office. There is no action required on the attorney’s part when this occurs. If the grievance alleges facts that would constitute professional misconduct, the attorney will be notified of the complaint and given thirty days to respond to the allegations. The chief disciplinary counsel’s office will review the response and investigate the facts to determine whether there is just cause to proceed into litigation. If just cause is not found, the case is set before a summary disposition panel for dismissal. If the panel does not agree the case should be dismissed, it will move forward. If just cause is found, the attorney will then be notified of the rule violations and given twenty days to notify the chief disciplinary counsel’s office whether he elects to have the complaint heard in a district court of proper venue, with or without a jury, or by an evidentiary panel of a grievance committee. It is very important that the attorney respond timely. Failure to timely file an election is conclusively deemed as an affirmative election to proceed to an evidentiary panel hearing. An attorney should consider retaining counsel to advise him as these new processes must be strictly adhered to.
The respondent or the Commission for Lawyer Discipline may appeal the judgment of the evidentiary panel to the Board of Disciplinary Appeals. Tex. Rules Disciplinary P. R. 2.23. An appeal from the decision of the board on an evidentiary proceeding is to the Supreme Court of Texas in accordance with Tex. Rules Disciplinary P. R. 7.11. Tex. Rules Disciplinary P. R. 2.27. If the complaint is heard in a district court, the judgment may be appealed as in civil cases generally. Tex. Rules Disciplinary P. R. 3.15.
[Sections 1.62 through 1.70 are reserved for expansion.]
VII. Language Considerations in Guardianship Matters
§ 1.71Person First Respectful Language
Recent legislative measures have been passed with the intent to guide legislators in their use of language when drafting statutes regarding persons with disabilities. The legislation directs the legislature and the legislative council to avoid the use of certain language and to instead focus on “person first” language. See Tex. Gov’t Code ch. 392.
The Person First Respectful Language Initiative notes that “language used in reference to persons with disabilities shapes and reflects society’s attitudes toward persons with disabilities. Certain terms and phrases are demeaning and create an invisible barrier to inclusion as equal community members.” Tex. Gov’t Code § 392.001. The initiative suggests preferred terms and phrases for new and revised laws by requiring the use of language that places the person before the disability. Similarly, practitioners should consider the use of language as directed by the statute, which suggests eliminating the use of the following terms: disabled, developmentally disabled, mentally disabled, mentally ill, mentally retarded, handicapped, cripple, and crippled. Such language should be replaced as appropriate with the following terms: persons with disabilities, persons with developmental disabilities, persons with mental illness, and persons with intellectual disabilities. See Tex. Gov’t Code § 392.002. While the new language is preferred, any statutes and resolutions that fail to use the preferred terms are not rendered invalid.