Legal Question in Legal Ethics in New York

defense lawyer got paid and I (winner of lawsuit) did not..illegal?

I was the plaintiff in a lawsuit regarding real estate commission. I won the case and was awarded nearly $5k. I was never paid. Is it illegal for the defendant to pay their lawyer and not pay me??? If so, how do I prove that happened?


Asked on 2/23/09, 8:52 am

1 Answer from Attorneys
Matthew Schwartz Schwartz & Ponterio, PLLC

Re: defense lawyer got paid and I (winner of lawsuit) did not..illegal?

Rather than focusing on payments made to the attorney, you should seek to collect. For example, if you have a judgment, you can freeze the defendant's bank accounts and then levy on them.

If the defendant paid legitimate debts, such as attorneys' fees, there is nothing wrong with that.

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Answered on 2/23/09, 9:57 am


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