Opinion ID: 1975492
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Failure to Communicate Contingent Fee Agreement in Writing

Text: Respondent handled personal injury and collection cases and used contingency fee agreements in those matters. He deposited the settlement checks for those cases to the account. Respondent, by his own admission at the hearing before this Court, failed to communicate the terms of contingency fee agreements to his clients in writing. He testified that he did not know he was required to have written contingency fees. Respondent admitted allowing fees earned in these contingency fee cases to accrue in the account for an indefinite period of time. There were no regular bank charges on this account which would require the deposit of Respondent's personal funds to the account. The Court concludes that Respondent failed to communicate the terms of contingency fee agreements to his clients in writing in violation of Rule 1.5 of the Maryland Rules of Professional Conduct. The fact that he was ignorant of the requirement is no excuse.