Case Name: PHARIS & PHARIS v. Mary Elizabeth V. RAYNER
Court: Louisiana Supreme Court
Jurisdiction: Louisiana
Decision Date: 1981-04-06
Citations: 397 So. 2d 1295
Docket Number: No. 67540
Parties: PHARIS & PHARIS v. Mary Elizabeth V. RAYNER.
Judges: MARCUS, J., dissents and assigns reasons.
Reporter: Southern Reporter, Second Series
Volume: 397
Pages: 1295–1296

Head Matter:
PHARIS & PHARIS v. Mary Elizabeth V. RAYNER.
No. 67540.
Supreme Court of Louisiana.
April 6, 1981.
Rehearing Denied May 18, 1981.
James A. Pharis, Jr., F. Jean Pharis of Pharis & Pharis, Alexandria, for plaintiff-applicant.
Vincent Hazleton, Alexandria, for defendant-respondent.

Opinion:
DENNIS, Justice.
This case involves a dispute over an attorney's fee. The plaintiff law firm seeks to recover under a contingent fee contract for services rendered in protecting defendant's interest in the community formerly existing between her deceased husband and herself. The trial and appellate courts rejected the law firm's demands entirely finding that the contingent fee contract was void for lack of consent due to error of fact. After reviewing the record and the excellent unpublished opinions of our trial and appellate brothers we conclude that it is unnecessary to decide whether the contingent fee contract was valid in this case. Regardless of the validity of the employment contract, it is clear that the attorney rendered valuable services for which he should be compensated but that the fee provided by the contract would have been excessive and unreasonable under the circumstances. See Code of Professional Responsibility DR 2-106(A) and (B); Saucier v. Hayes Dairy Products, Inc., 373 So.2d 102 (La.1979). Accordingly, we reverse the judgment of the court of appeal and remand the case to it with instructions to award plaintiff a reasonable fee in light of the evidence of record and the factors set forth in the Code of Professional Responsibility. See DR 2-106(B).
REVERSED AND REMANDED.
MARCUS, J., dissents and assigns reasons.
BLANCHE, J., dissents and handed down reasons.