File complaint illinois attorney

We will consider your request to withdraw your complaint in deciding what, if any, further action to take, but your request will not automatically stop our investigation. Although we encourage lawyers and clients to work together to resolve differences, lawyers are prohibited from entering into agreements requiring clients or former clients to withdraw ARDC complaints or to refuse to cooperate with the ARDC. Supreme Court Rules do not provide for any appeal of ARDC decisions not to investigate or pursue formal charges against lawyers.

You may, however, request that we reconsider a decision not to take further action and may submit additional information regarding a previously filed investigation request at any time. While there is no formal time limit or statute of limitations for complaints to the ARDC, the Commission can and does consider the age of alleged misconduct in determining whether and how to act on complaints. The passage of time can make it difficult or impossible to adequately investigate and effectively prosecute charges of misconduct against lawyers.

Also, it may be difficult or impossible to establish that a lawyer is unfit for the practice of law by reason of conduct that occurred many years earlier. The ARDC cannot provide you with legal advice or legal help, cannot take over your case, and cannot seek to overturn unfavorable rulings or court orders in your case. If you file a complaint, you remain responsible for taking action to protect your legal rights. The ARDC cannot remove or replace your lawyer. If you want to discharge your lawyer, you will need to do so directly, preferably in writing.

The ARDC has no authority to appoint lawyers to represent individuals. The ARDC is not authorized to make lawyer referrals. Many bar associations have referral lists and will provide names of private attorneys practicing in certain areas of the law. Website: www.

Illinois State Bar Association, P. Box , Springfield, IL ; Telephone: or Referral attorneys are located throughout Illinois.

Illinois residents who cannot afford to hire a private attorney, may wish to seek assistance from a pro bono legal assistance organization. Filing an ARDC complaint about your lawyer does not in itself end the lawyer-client relationship. If the matter for which you hired the lawyer still needs attention and you have not fired the lawyer or your lawyer has not withdrawn from representing you, you may continue to consult with your lawyer or any other lawyer of your choosing to ensure that your legal rights are protected.

If you wish to end the representation, it is important that you communicate your decision to the lawyer directly, preferably in writing, and that you secure other representation if your legal matter still needs attention or resolution. Illinois Supreme Court Rule provides that any person who communicates to the ARDC a complaint concerning a lawyer or allegations concerning the unauthorized practice of law, shall be immune from civil liability which might result from the communication.

This immunity, however, applies only to communications made to ARDC employees and board members. Lawyer Registration. Expand All Collapse All. First consider…. If I lost money because of my lawyer, can I get it back? Fee disputes. Criminal behavior by a lawyer. Complaints about judges. How do I file a complaint? Learn more. Learn more about the duty to report and the answers to some of the most frequently-asked questions.

Lawyer Registration. Promoting and Protecting the integrity of the legal profession. Lawyer Search. We will send your complaint to the party with which you have a dispute unless you advise this office not to do so.

This information may also be shared with other governmental enforcement agencies responsible for consumer protection and other laws. Complaint forms are public records, which are subject to the Freedom of Information Act just like other public records. If we receive a request for copies of records that include your complaint, we may be required to provide a copy of your complaint to the requestor. Information that would reveal your identity as a complainant is, however, exempt from disclosure and will be deleted from copies that we provide, allowing the requestor to read your complaint without compromising your privacy.

Fill out and print a consumer complaint form below. Printable Consumer Complaint Form in English. Please include your complete address and phone number as well as the business' address and phone number.