Legal Question in Personal Injury in Ohio

The client's file belongs to him, not to his former lawyer. The lawyer must give it to him if he asks for it. Unless speed is critically important, the lawyer can hold onto the file for a reasonable amount of time after receiving such a request in order to copy some or all of it. The lawyer cannot charge the client for making these copies unless their contract says she can.

The lawyer is generally allowed to keep copies (or originals, if the client doesn't want them) of any document in a client's file. But her duty of confidentiality continues after the attorney-client relationship has ended. So does her obligation to protect the attorney-client privilege. She will not gain the right to publish the contents of a client's file when their business relationship is over.