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Case Citation
Legal Case Name

Herzog v. Irace Case Brief

Supreme Judicial Court of Maine1991Docket #2183488
594 A.2d 1106 1991 Me. LEXIS 199 Contracts Professional Responsibility

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Case Brief Summary & Legal Analysis

General Brief
3 min read

tl;dr: A client assigned future personal injury settlement proceeds to his doctor. When the client later tried to revoke the assignment, his attorneys followed his instruction. The court held the attorneys liable, finding the assignment was valid and irrevocable upon notice.

Legal Significance: An assignment of future rights to proceeds from litigation is valid and, once the obligor has notice, it is irrevocable by the assignor. The obligor must pay the assignee, even over the assignor’s subsequent objection, or face direct liability.

Herzog v. Irace Law School Study Guide

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Case Facts & Court Holding

Key Facts & Case Background

Gary Jones retained attorneys Irace and Lowry for a personal injury claim. For an unrelated shoulder injury, Jones required surgery from Dr. Herzog but could not pay. To secure payment, Jones signed a document stating, “I, Gary Jones, request that payment be made directly from settlement of a claim currently pending… to John Herzog, D.O.” Dr. Herzog performed the surgery and notified the attorneys, whose firm acknowledged the document as an “assignment of benefits.” After Jones received a $20,000 settlement, he instructed his attorneys not to pay Dr. Herzog directly, claiming he would handle it himself. The attorneys complied, disbursing the funds to Jones and other creditors. Jones failed to pay Dr. Herzog. Dr. Herzog sued the attorneys to enforce the assignment of the settlement proceeds.

Court Holding & Legal Precedent

Issue: Does a client’s written request to pay a third party from future settlement proceeds create a valid and enforceable assignment that the client’s attorney, as the obligor with notice, must honor despite the client’s subsequent revocation?

Yes. The letter constituted a valid and enforceable assignment of the settlement Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam,

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IRAC Legal Analysis

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IRAC (Issue, Rule, Analysis, Conclusion) is the exact format professors want to see in your exam answers. Our exclusive Flash-to-Full briefs combine holding, analysis, and rule statements formatted to match what A+ students produce in exams. These structured briefs help reinforce the essential legal reasoning patterns expected in law school.

Legal Issue

Does a client’s written request to pay a third party from future settlement proceeds create a valid and enforceable assignment that the client’s attorney, as the obligor with notice, must honor despite the client’s subsequent revocation?

Conclusion

This case solidifies the principle that a valid assignment of future proceeds Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in v

Legal Rule

An assignment is a manifestation of the assignor's intent to transfer a Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse

Legal Analysis

The court determined the document signed by Jones was a valid assignment, Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mol

Flash-to-Full Case Opinions

Flash Summary

  • A client’s letter “requesting” direct payment to a creditor from future
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat

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