Legal Malpractice
Board Certified Civil Trial Lawyer William E. Hahn, P.A., based in Tampa represents people throughout the west coast of Florida who have been harmed by legal malpractice. Mr. Hahn is an expert in civil jury trials and professional negligence, and is dedicated to upholding the professional and ethical standards in the legal community. As a testament to his excellence and commitment as an attorney, Mr. Hahn has received the top AV rating from Martindale-Hubbell, signifying the highest ethical standards and legal ability.
Florida Rule of Professional Conduct 4-1.1 requires that all lawyers "provide competent representation to their clients." Competent representation means that the lawyer has the legal "knowledge" and "skill" "reasonably necessary" to handle the legal matter, and that he or she carries out the case work with "reasonably necessary" "thoroughness" and "preparation." Lawyers owe a duty to their clients to act in accordance with this professional standard of care. When a lawyer's actions fail to conform to this standard and a client's interests are harmed as a result, the client may bring an action for legal malpractice against the lawyer.
Mr. Hahn is experienced in representing clients in legal malpractice actions arising out of negligence or misconduct, including:
- Failure to bring a case within the statute of limitations period
- Fraudulent billing practices
- Embezzlement of client funds
- Comingling personal funds and property with client funds, client property, or fees advanced by the client
- Failure to properly handle conflicts of interests arising out of the representation of multiple clients with adverse interests
- Failing to appear at or adequately prepare for court proceedings
- Failing to adequately communicate with a client to keep him or her informed of major case developments
- Failure to adequately investigate the facts of a client's case
- Revealing a client's confidential information without permission
To win a legal malpractice case, you must show that the lawyer failed to act in accordance with the professional standard of care, and that the lawyer's negligence or misconduct caused harm to the client. Accordingly, you generally need to prove that you would have won your underlying case or would have had a better settlement outcome if your lawyer had conducted himself/herself according to the relevant professional standard of care. Proving this can be difficult, so it is important to make sure you are represented by an attorney who is experienced in handling legal malpractice cases.
Statute of Limitations
Under Florida law, a party who is harmed by legal malpractice must bring a claim within 2 years of the date the incident giving rise to the harm is discovered or should have been discovered. If you believe you have been a victim of legal malpractice, it is important to contact an experienced lawyer as soon as possible. Contact William E. Hahn, P.A. today for assistance with your legal malpractice case.
