Opinion ID: 1674262
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 27

Heading: mississippi requires an attorney client relationship in an action based on attorney or legal malpractice.

Text: The chancellor found Steighner jointly and severally liable to the Corsons in the amount of $75,000.00 due to his negligence in performing title work for the Meiers. Additionally, punitive damages in the amount of $50,000.00 were awarded the Meiers for Steighner's gross negligence in frustrating the Corsons' efforts to solve the title problems he created. This assignment of error must receive a de novo review as it involves a question of law. Cooper, 587 So.2d at 239. This Court has indeed consistently held that a legal malpractice action requires an attorney-client relationship. Singleton v. Stegall, 580 So.2d 1242, 1244 (Miss. 1991); Hickox v. Holleman, 502 So.2d 626, 633 (Miss. 1987); Hutchinson v. Smith, 417 So.2d 926, 927 (Miss. 1982). The Corsons do not claim such a relationship with Steighner. The fact that Steighner corrected the easement problem discovered by Dunn & Webb in the course of their title update for the Corsons, at the request of Century 21, did not create an attorney-client relationship between Steighner and the Corsons. Even if such a relationship had been created when Steighner did the corrective work, the Corsons could not recover as they have proven no damages.