Dispute Resolution and Arbitration Commons^™

Restoring Faith In The Attorney/Client Relationship: Alaska's Mandatory Fee Arbitration - A. Fred Miller, Attorneys At Law, P.C. V. Purvis, Byron D. Brown

Journal of Dispute Resolution

Arbitration is an effective method of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) in resolving a disagreement between an attorney and client over legal fees. The arbitration proceeding offers benefits for both lawyers and clients. Attorneys avoid having to sue a former client for a delinquent bill and face the very real possibility of a malpractice counterclaim. The client, on the other hand, avoids the aggravation of retaining another counsel to defend the suit. Mandatory fee arbitration, as established by the Alaska Supreme Court, places the decision to submit to arbitration squarely in the client's hands. Once the client chooses arbitration, the attorney …