This would put the attorney in a difficult position. Your letter clearly emphasizes the attorney's transparent behavior by attempting to make the doctor suffer while the lawyer's own fee is immunized. Assuming the attorney refuses to turn all the PI proceeds to the local court, the doctor would have a reasonable basis of asking the judge to demand from the attorney that the lawyer's fees must also be turned over to the judge's control for a complete and fair disposition. The suggested letter should be sent by certified mail to the attorney, with a copy to the patient plus a copy to the leader of the local bar association. Many local bar associations encourage fee disputes to be resolved through the local bar association.
Some bar associations are more honest and straightforward than others.
Nevertheless, a crooked attorney generally does not want to face his peers knowing that other attorneys will clearly recognize what the PI attorney is doing against the doctor. Finally, it never hurts to file a complaint to the state bar against an attorney if he is not handling a personal attorney settlement in a fair and equitable manner. Any time an attorney is not acting responsibly with other people's money, the attorney should be turned over to the bar. Some bar associations may not take decisive action, but the legal culture is changing. When a bad attorney starts accumulating a number of complaints, even the most inactive bar association will have to take action.