Case Documents at Risk: Court Weighs Attorney’s Right to Hold Client Files Over Unpaid Bills
Denver, Colorado — Challenges often arise when clients and their lawyers disagree on fees, especially when the disagreement escalates to the point where a client wants to change representation and the lawyer refuses to release case documents until unpaid bills are settled. This legal gray area concerning an attorney’s right to retain client papers as a lien for unpaid fees recently came under scrutiny in a Colorado Court of Appeals case, adding new layers to an already complex issue. Under Colorado law, attorneys are permitted to claim a lien on client documents that have come … Read more