Legal Definitions - limited scope representation

Limited scope representation is when a lawyer agrees to only handle certain parts of a client's legal matter. This means that the lawyer will not handle the entire case, but only specific aspects of it.

For example, in a divorce case, a party may want to represent themselves but need an attorney for certain matters such as property division or restraining orders. In this case, they can hire an attorney for limited scope representation.

Attorneys providing limited scope representation must often file a notice with the court stating that they are only representing the client for a limited purpose. This is to ensure that everyone involved in the case is aware of the limited scope of the attorney's representation.

An example of limited scope representation can be seen in the case of In re Marriage of Tsatryan in the California Court of Appeals. One party filed a notice of limited scope representation to have an attorney represent her only for matters involving division of property and a request for restraining orders. This means that the attorney was only responsible for handling these specific aspects of the case and not the entire divorce proceedings.