Study the main responsibilities of a client to an attorney; consider what a person should do retaining a lawyer. Become aware of the basic principles of their cooperation, mutual understanding and respect.

Client’s Responsibilities

Client’s Responsibilities

 

clients_responsibilitiesMutual trust, politeness and comity are considered to be the symbols of the attorney-client relationships. Within those relationships, the client turns to the lawyer for skills, education, impartial judgment, protection, defense and representation. These hopes can be achieved only in that case, if the client accomplishes such responsibilities:

1. The client should treat the attorney and his personnel with comity and politeness.
2. The relationship client-lawyer should be absolutely impartial. The attorney must be aware of all details and events of the case under consideration even if the client deems that those details can be unfavorable or disadvantageous to him and unimportant to the lawyer.
3. The client should respect the fee accord consented with the attorney, in compliance with the law.
4. All receipts for services provided in accordance with the fee accord should be paid at the appointed time.
5. The client has the right to refuse from the lawyer-client relationship, provided by financial obligations under the consented fee arrangement and, in some cases, subject to court approbation. Though the client may anticipate that his letters, phone calls and other messages will be responded within consented time period, the client should realize that the attorney works with other clients similarly requiring the attorney’s time and consideration.
6. The client should keep contacts with the attorney, punctually inform him of any alteration of phone number or address and reply on time to a request
of the attorney for some data and cooperation.
7. The client should understand that the attorney must honor only legal purposes of the client and that the attorney will not support or recommend positions being unprofessional or contradictory to the law or the Attorney’s Code of Professional Responsibility.
8. The attorney may not accept a case if he is busy with the previous professional obligations that may result in insufficient time being accessible for good representation of a new client.

An attorney is not obliged to accept a client if he defines that the case of the client is disadvantageous, there is the possibility of the conflict of interest or that appropriate client-attorney relationships are impossible.