Opinion ID: 1722606
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Discharge of Attorney

Text: Attorney-client contracts contain an implied provision that the client may discharge the attorney at any time, either with or without cause. Sikes v. Segars, 266 Ark. 654, 587 S.W.2d 554 (1979). [T]here can be no doubt of the right of a client to discharge an attorney who fails to prosecute the cause with reasonable diligence, for that is clearly the measure of an attorney's duty to his client. Any other rule would require a client to retain an attorney who was neglecting the cause and failing to proceed with proper diligence. Johnson v. Missouri Pac. R.R. Co., 149 Ark. 418, 427, 233 S.W. 699, 702 (1921). Because a client may always terminate the contract, a breach of contract action by an attorney for wrongful discharge does not really exist. See Henry, Walden & Davis v. Goodman, 294 Ark. 25, 741 S.W.2d 233 (1987).