Management Tips are provided by the State Bar of Texas and ABA Practice Management Advisors. The tips are not meant as legal advice, nor binding on the State Bar of Texas or the ABA.
If you are a solo practitioner or an attorney in small firm, consider including language in your client contract / fee agreement, notifying the client of the necessity for a backup attorney to fill in for you should you become incapacitated for some reason and not able to continue representation.
An attorney is human, meaning that he / she is just as vulnerable to illness and accidents as any lay person. That being said, you want to make sure that should you ever be put in this position, you're clients will be taken care of. Speak with your colleagues and ask if they would be willing to pinch hit for you should there ever be a need.
Once you have a designated backup attorney(s), let your clients know during their initial interview that you have agreements worked out with other attorneys to fill in for you, should something prevent you from continuing representation. Include this information in your contract and / or fee agreement and make sure the client understands and agrees to it.
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