Legal Definitions - attorney malpractice

Attorney malpractice, also known as legal malpractice, refers to a lawyer's failure to provide professional services with the same level of skill, care, and diligence that an ordinary and reasonable lawyer would use under similar circumstances.

For example, if a lawyer fails to file a lawsuit within the statute of limitations, resulting in the client losing their case, it could be considered attorney malpractice. Similarly, if a lawyer fails to disclose a conflict of interest and it harms the client's case, it could also be considered malpractice.

In order to prove attorney malpractice, the plaintiff must show that the lawyer's negligence or incompetence was the proximate cause of damages suffered by the client.