Legal Question in Business Law in Indiana

Situation: An Attorney was recommended to me by a very close family friend. We had a dispute over an invoice which I refused to pay for valid cause. The attorney then discussed the details of my account with the family friend and they called me on a conference call TOGETHER to discuss my "non-payment" of the account! I was horrified! The family friend didn't understand the details of dispute and I was made to look like I simple wasn't paying the attorney that my friend referred.

This has been an embarrassment and has even caused me to miss family gatherings that the family friends were attending because I was so disgusted with the attorney and friend for wrongfully "attacking" me.

The question is, did the attorney "cross the line" for a client/attorney relationship, and is there any legal recourse I may have aginst him for ruining my relationship with a very long standing family friend?

Thanks in advance for any help you may provide.

Todd Roberts


Asked on 9/22/09, 8:17 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys

The question really is whether discussing your bill with a friend is a disclosure of confidential information. I suspect not. The attorney could have reported this to credit reporting agencies.

He could sue you, in which case its public record. I don't agree with how he handled this but I don't see an ethical violation.

Do you have a cause of action? I don't know. However, my gut feeling is that maybe you do.

You may wish to hire an attorney to research that issue for you. Good luck.

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Answered on 9/22/09, 11:40 pm


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