QUESTION
What arrangement would be legal for me to help my friend and then receive a part of his settlement?
Asked on Dec 16th, 2016 on Personal Injury - California
More details to this question:
A friend asked me to get involved in his legal case. A car crashed into his car while he was stopped causing fairly severe injury. He's not business or legal-world savvy and just wants someone to generally help negotiate from a business standpoint and give me a piece of the settlement if any. My guess is we're not talking big moneys, just a couple hundred grand. I have extensive legal experience because I lead legal strategy and litigation at our real estate and insurance firm, but I'm not an attorney. Thanks in advance for any help.
3 ANSWERS
Edwin K. Niles
Be careful! It sounds like practicing law without a license.
Answered on Feb 16th, 2017 at 5:46 AM
1 Award
You would need a financial power of attorney authorizing you to negotiate on his behalf. But, that may still violate your state's laws on practicing law without a license. Moreover, insurance companies rarely payout the kind of money you are talking about without a lawyer representing the accident victim.
Answered on Feb 15th, 2017 at 9:27 AM
You would be practicing law for compensation without a license which is illegal. Your friend should see if he can find a licensed attorney who will handle the matter on an hourly fee basis. When the insurance company learns you are not an attorney, at best they will give a low ball offer. The case is not worth "just a few hundred thousands" unless the medical bills are high and the injury very severe. Real estate law and personal injury law are very different. What you do at your firm might also be questionable, but you do not give us any facts to know what the situation is.
Answered on Feb 15th, 2017 at 9:27 AM