A consumer or other potential client who is looking to hire an attorney might wonder: “Are Florida Bar complaints public record?” The Florida Bar’s Department of Lawyer Regulation is responsible for the discipline system in the State of Florida. In this case, the public is able to search for historical records and information about disciplinary actions.
At The Law Place, we have over seventy-five years of collective experience when it comes to working under the law in the State of Florida. Our law firm has an in-depth understanding of lawyer regulation, and we can help to explain the legal system to you.
If you have any questions in regard to the Florida Bar or other complaints, then you can call us now. Our phone lines are open twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.
Contact The Law Place on (941) 444-4444 to schedule a free consultation today.
Finding Information on Florida Bar Disciplinary Actions
If you are searching for information about a particular attorney who has been disciplined for unethical behavior, then there are a few different ways for you to find out. We have written a number of methods that you can read below:
Reading the Florida Bar’s Monthly Summary of Discipline
The Florida Bar publishes a report every month of the attorneys who have received disciplinary action from the Supreme Court during the last month in the State of Florida.
The list will contain the names, addresses of their businesses, the type of action that was taken for all of the attorneys.
Using a Searchable Form
The Florida Bar has a database of every attorney who is licensed to practice across the State of Florida, and you can search for them. The disciplinary actions that have been taken against the listed attorneys are included within the database as part of the individual lawyer’s record.
You can find the individual public record of the type of disciplinary action that has been taken against a specific attorney within the record. When you find the records, you can see the administrative or court documents, along with other information in regard to the disciplinary action.
You can find the business address and other information of the attorney by going through the database record.
Email Message
If you are wondering about the public nature of Florida Bar complaints because you want to find information about an attorney, then you can read the information on the Florida Bar website. However, you must understand that the Florida Bar will only give the information that is related to the attorney’s public record and nothing more. In addition, you will need to make an email request to find information that is more than 10 years old about an attorney.
What Constitutes a Complaint Against a Lawyer?
A complaint against a lawyer can range from breaking a moral code to being incompetent. Some of the most common examples of Florida Bar complaints that can possibly result in disciplinary action include:
- A conflict of interest.
- Poor communication.
- Withholding documents from a client.
- A violation of client and lawyer confidentiality (attorney-client privilege).
- Taking on a ‘frivolous’ case.
- Being ineffective (due to a lack of skill or knowledge).
- Withholding money from a client or taking money without delivering the promised service.
If a lawyer is found guilty of committing one of the above offenses, then they will have to suffer the consequences to their professional record or lose their right to practice law.
If you have more questions in regard to complaints against a lawyer, then you can call us now.
The Process of Filing a Complaint Against a Florida Lawyer
If you are asking whether Florida Bar complaints are public record, then you should know that a consumer or another client who feel that a lawyer has treated them in an unethical manner are given the right to file a complaint with the Florida Bar through the Attorney Consumer Assistance Program (ACAP).
An excellent resource to help you start filing a complaint is Florida’s Discipline Roadmap Infographic. However, you should also know that attorneys and judges can file complaints too. Every complaint that the ACAP receives does not always result in disciplinary action. The ACAP will try to resolve the dispute through negotiation before anything else takes place.
What Happens After You Notify the ACAP?
The ACAP might discover that no action is required after an initial investigation, which means that they will close the case.
However, if The ACAP decides to move forward with the investigation, then the case will go through a number of levels. The case will either get passed to the next level for further investigation, or the case will close.
The Florida Supreme Court will always have the final say on whether a case should result in disciplinary action against an attorney in the end.
Forty-Five Florida Lawyers Were Disciplined Between 2019 and 2020
Every lawyer, regardless of their practice area or specialties, is required to abide by a strict set of ethics and rules. The amount of lawyers that were disciplined by the Florida Bar between the years 2019 and 2020 include:
- Forty-two lawyers were disbarred.
- Three lawyers were “disbarred by consent.”
- Zero lawyers had their licenses revoked.
The Florida Bar had 108,615 members during this period of time.
How The Law Place Can Help You
We understand that you might be hesitant to take legal action against your experience with a former lawyer. Our law firm is aware that there are lawyers who breach the moral code or behave irresponsibly, and we want to help you reach the resolution that you deserve for your case. Our team of lawyers will always listen to what you have to say and offer a piece of reasonable advice to help you in your current situation. There is no need to worry when you place your case in our hands. We will:
- Assist you in filing your complaint.
- Show evidence that reflects your version of effects.
- Manage all forms of communication.
- Update you on the progress of your legal case.
- Explain the type of damages that you can receive in the event that your case wins.
How to Find Attorney Discipline Public Records
The Florida Bar posts the attorney discipline documents for the past 10 years on public record. You can follow these steps to find out more information:
- Click on the ‘Find a Lawyer’ page.
- Enter the lawyer’s first and last name (including the city, if you know it).
- Under the lawyer’s name, you will see the status of the attorney (for example, they could be in good standing, disbarred, not eligible to practice, etc.). You will also see the attorney’s number, contact information, and year of admittance to the Bar.
- When you scroll down the page, you will see a category for the 10 Year Discipline History, which will show either ‘None’ or ‘Show Details.’ If there are details available, then you can read the sanction, action date, and reference number. Click on the green reference number, which will open a page with more court documents for you to see (such as the Florida Supreme Court Order or Report and Referee). You can select each court document and read the details of the attorney’s case.
Contact The Law Place Today!
If you are looking for legal representation against a former lawyer, then you should seek counsel with a lawyer from The Law Place. Our law firm understands the rules regulating the Florida Bar, and we can help to guide you through the legal system.
At The Law Place, we have over seventy-five years of combined experience and knowledge in fighting incompetent lawyers throughout the State of Florida. Our team of car accident lawyers is ready to serve you and bring justice to your case.
You can call us now for a free case review. We will talk about your experience with your former lawyer and explain the type of actions that are available for you. Our phone lines are available twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week
Contact The Law Place on (941) 444-4444 to schedule a free consultation today.
