Threat Draws Admonition

The New Jersey Supreme Court has directed its Disciplinary Review Board to issue a letter of admonition to an attorney who threatened a client with criminal charges to obtain an improper advantage in a civil matter.

The attorney was engaged in an attempt to collect a fee. He sent the client a letter excerpted here:

[I]f I do not receive payment [in two days] I will be forced to file a Complaint in Civil Court and will file criminal charges for theft of services against you. Should I be forced to take this action, you will incur additional costs.

The client testified that she was "pretty upset" about the threat and contacted the attorney to send her a bill.

The attorney also did not have a writing setting forth the basis and rate of his fees. (Mike Frisch)