Legal Malpractice
• Experienced handling legal malpractice claims for both plaintiffs and defendant attorneys
• Experienced handling professional responsibility claims against attorneys
• My representation of both sides enables me to understand the other side’s position and objectives so as to achieve optimal results for you
• Favorable settlement with client’s former attorney for failing to get share of father’s estate due to conflict of interest.
To prove legal malpractice, a plaintiff must show: 1) the attorney’s employment, 2) the failure of the attorney to meet the applicable standard of care for the services provided, and 3) loss suffered by the client as a direct result of the attorney’s failure to meet the standard of care.
In other words, a plaintiff must prove both that the legal malpractice occurred and that a favorable outcome would have resulted but for the lawyer’s legal malpractice. Legal malpractice lawyers call this the “case within the case.” Thus, a plaintiff must show that he/she would have prevailed in the original case but for the legal malpractice.
Legal malpractice can occur in a variety of situations including failing to file an action before the statute of limitations expires, missing a filing deadline, defrauding a client for personal gain or other ethical violation, or failing to offer expert testimony on a critical element of proof. Legal malpractice can arise in any legal matter including personal injury, immigration, a will contest, divorce, etc.
Mark G. Chalpin
116 Billingsgate Lane
Gaithersburg, MD 20877
Office: (301) 990-4900
Cell: (240) 423-7227
Fax: (832) 201-7392
Email: mark.chalpin@gmail.com