{"id":386,"date":"2019-03-13T07:01:59","date_gmt":"2019-03-13T07:01:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost:8888\/altaprorpgoldsite\/?p=386"},"modified":"2024-01-24T11:55:35","modified_gmt":"2024-01-24T16:55:35","slug":"the-dangers-of-dabbling","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/altaprorpg.com\/expertise\/the-dangers-of-dabbling\/","title":{"rendered":"The Dangers of Dabbling"},"content":{"rendered":"

Executive Summary<\/h3>\n

All lawyers have their comfort zones. Dabbling in an unfamiliar area increases the odds of a mistake, which can lead to a malpractice claim or bar grievance. The ethics rules permit you to take on a novel matter as long as you take appropriate steps to become competent.<\/p>\n

Dabbling Can Equal Disaster<\/h3>\n

Lawyers are required to have a baseline of competence before accepting a case. Some have practice niches that serve a specific clientele. Other become certified as specialists. Even those with general practices have expertise in some areas but not others.<\/p>\n

Know your limits. Problems arise when lawyers stray from their sweet spots and dabble in cases where they lack experience.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Alta Pro Practice Pointers<\/h3>\n
    \n
  1. Review the rules of professional conduct<\/b>. ABA Model Rule 1.1<\/a>\u00a0says you should not represent a client without sufficient \u201cknowledge, skill, thoroughness and preparation.\u201d<\/li>\n
  2. Be candid. Tell the client what areas you\u2019re experienced in. If their case falls outside this zone but you want to take it anyway, explain your plan to get up to speed. Then let them decide whether or not to retain you.<\/b><\/li>\n
  3. Associate co-counsel.<\/b> You don\u2019t necessarily have to decline the case or refer the client elsewhere. You can bring in an experienced attorney or consultant to help. A retired lawyer may be perfect. Make sure the client agrees to the arrangement, including how case responsibilities and fees will be divided. Get their consent in writing.<\/li>\n
  4. Educate yourself<\/b>. If you\u2019ve never handled a complex divorce before, you may not know what discovery to conduct or even what a good outcome would be. Do what it takes \u2013 attending CLE, acquiring a mentor, joining a bar association section \u2013 to acquire the necessary skills. Don\u2019t bill the client for your time and expense doing so.<\/li>\n
  5. Add an experienced lawyer to your firm<\/b>. If you\u2019ve been thinking about expanding into this area, recruit a lawyer who can bring expertise from day one.<\/li>\n
  6. Don\u2019t accept a case to accommodate a friend or relative<\/b>. You\u2019re doing nobody a favor by stepping into uncharted territory.<\/li>\n
  7. Don\u2019t let your inexperience hurt your client.<\/b> Opposing counsel will know your reputation and background. They may try to leverage your lack of experience in settling or resolving the matter. It\u2019s one thing to handle a slip and fall with minimal injuries; it\u2019s another thing to litigate a complicated products liability or wrongful death case.<\/li>\n
  8. Withdraw if necessary<\/b>. If you find yourself in over your head, withdrawing from representation might be required. Don\u2019t do anything to prejudice the client. Get court permission when required.<\/li>\n
  9. Just say no.<\/b> This can be hard to do. Don\u2019t make it personal. Explain that you lack the time, experience or resources to handle the case \u2013 and that someone else would be better for the job.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    The Bottom Line:<\/b> Avoid a malpractice minefield by sticking to what you know and are good at.<\/p>\n

    What’s Next?
    \nHave a question about the dangers of dabbling? Ask the Risk Pro!
    \n<\/a>
    \n
    \nLooking for pointers on managing client data? Click here!
    \n<\/a>
    \nHeads up!
    \nThis information is intended for informative purposes for members of Alta Pro Lawyers Risk Purchasing Group. It is not intended as legal advice. Lawyers should always refer to local and state rules and statutes for applicable standards and rules. These guidelines are designed to help lawyers avoid professional liability claims and are not intended for any other purpose. No legal or fiduciary relationship is intended to be created by receipt of this material.<\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Stick to what you know and avoid disaster.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":15732,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[253,435],"tags":[438,439],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/altaprorpg.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/386"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/altaprorpg.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/altaprorpg.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/altaprorpg.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/altaprorpg.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=386"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/altaprorpg.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/386\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20513,"href":"https:\/\/altaprorpg.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/386\/revisions\/20513"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/altaprorpg.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15732"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/altaprorpg.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=386"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/altaprorpg.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=386"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/altaprorpg.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=386"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}