Disclaimer
Our disclaimer – The information you obtain at this site is not, nor is it intended to be, legal advice. You should consult an attorney for advice regarding your individual situation. We invite you to contact us and welcome your calls, letters and electronic mail. Contacting us does not create an attorney-client relationship. Please do not send any confidential information to us until such time as an attorney-client relationship has been established.
The establishment of the attorney-client relationship involves two elements: a person seeks advice or assistance from an attorney; and the attorney appears to give, agrees to give or gives the advice or assistance. If the client reason- ably believes that there is an attorney-client relationship, then the lawyer has professional obligations to that client.Further, lawyers also have certain professional obligations to non-clients, including former clients (see La. Rule of Prof. Conduct 1.9) and prospective clients who ultimately do not retain the lawyer (see La. Rule of Prof. Conduct 1.18) Therefore, it is essential that both attorney and client understand whether the attorney-client relationship exists.
Before establishing an attorney-client relationship, you will need to determine if you have a conflict of interest prohibiting the representation. Because of the importance of this inquiry, Conflicts of Interest are addressed in section 2 of this Guide.
Several steps lead to the formation of the attorney-client relationship:
- initial client contact;
- screening;
- interview;
- accepting or declining representation; and
- confirming the acceptance or declination in writing.
