Q: I’m in Omaha Neb If I paid the full retainer fee for an attorney for a friend can I fire the attorney?
Or can only the client fire the attorney? Actually, I’m wanting the partial amount back due to the friend not living up to the conditions of the loan, not necessarily because of the attorney
A: Only the client can fire the attorney and give direction to the attorney on how to represent the client. Further, from your statement here, it sounds like the attorney is performing or performed his or her duties but perhaps the client/your friend is not helping his or her own case...It would be very unfair to not want to pay someone who performed services because someone else (the client) isn't following a separate agreement with you. If you signed as a payor, you can certainly notify the attorney you are no longer willing to foot the bill (if the matter is ongoing) and they should look to their client for future payments. If you had an agreement with the friend that this was a loan, you could look into small claims or similar to get the money back from the friend you loaned to.
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A: The attorney can only be fired by the client, not by a person that paid the attorney fee. If the person regrets giving this money for an attorney, you would have to ask for such back from the friend. Absent a special agreement, the attorney wouldn't be required to pay the funds back.
1 user found this answer helpful
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