Limited Scope Representation

To help you in litigation, you and a lawyer may agree that the lawyer will represent you in the entire case, or only in certain parts of the case. Maybe, you need more than one lawyer on the case. “Limited Scope Representation” occurs if you retain a lawyer only for certain parts of the case. When a lawyer agrees to provide Limited Scope Representation in your case, the lawyer must act in your best interest and give you competent help. However, this help is limited only to the tasks specified in the agreement between the client and the attorney.

Indiana Trial Rule 3.1(I) states, “If an attorney seeks to represent a party in a proceeding before the court on a temporary basis or a basis that is limited in scope, the attorney shall file a notice of temporary or limited representation. The notice shall contain the information set out in Section (A) (1) and (2) above and a description of the temporary or limited status, including the date the temporary status ends or the scope of the limited representation. The court shall not be required to act on the temporary or limited representation. At the completion of the temporary or limited representation, the attorney shall file a notice of completion of representation with the clerk of the court.”

Employment of a lawyer for limited scope representation requires that the lawyer and client carefully and thoroughly review the duties and responsibilities each will assume. Any limited representation agreement should be in writing and describe, in detail, the lawyer’s duties in the client’s individual case. Also, this agreement should specifically state when the representation ends.