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Simple English definitions for legal terms

attorney-witness rule

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A quick definition of attorney-witness rule:

The attorney-witness rule states that a lawyer who may be called to testify in a trial cannot also act as an advocate in the case, unless the testimony is about an uncontested matter or the amount of attorney's fees, or if not allowing the lawyer to participate would cause significant hardship for the client. The rule allows a lawyer to be a witness on formal matters but discourages them from testifying on behalf of their client.

A more thorough explanation:

The attorney-witness rule, also known as the lawyer-witness rule, is a principle that states that an attorney who is likely to be called as a fact witness in a trial cannot participate as an advocate in the case. This is unless the testimony is about an uncontested matter, the amount of attorney's fees in the case, or if disqualifying the attorney would create a substantial hardship for the client.

The rule allows an attorney who is actively participating in the case to be a witness on formal matters but discourages testimony on other matters on behalf of a client. This rule is outlined in the Model Rule of Professional Conduct 3.7 (1983).

For example, if an attorney is representing a client in a personal injury case and was present during the accident, they may be called as a witness to testify about what they saw. In this case, the attorney cannot continue to act as an advocate for their client in the trial.

Another example is if an attorney is representing a client in a divorce case and is also a financial expert. If the attorney's testimony is needed to explain complex financial matters, they may be allowed to testify as a witness, but they cannot continue to act as an advocate for their client in the trial.

attorney's fees | attornment

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MIAMI A
[] AromaticTroubledDormouse
20:55
How does one know if they are UR1 or UR2?
[] AromaticTroubledDormouse
20:56
CONGRATS MACAQUE!
TY
got a random stanford email and almost had a heart attack
ALSO CONGRATS!
Congrats1!
21:15
Miami A, yall I'm so excited I could cry.
21:15
Feel like I can finally stop holding my breath!! Whew!!!
[] baddestbunny
22:16
every time I get accosted by a strange man who follows me around because my male coworkers were too busy talking to walk me back to my car I get closer to saying we need to bring back traditional gender roles
Dkk
22:32
Nice! @Macaque
Dkk
22:32
@Aromatic, Have to guess.
Dkk
22:33
That sucks @Bunny do you have to go to the hospital?
[] baddestbunny
22:40
I said accosted not assaulted
23:35
guys. my notre dame address just went long is this good or bad
1a2b3c4d26z
23:37
Oooooo me too
23:37
omg is this good or bad
Dkk
23:47
Idk if gender roles are gunna fix that then.
23:49
it looks like most people who applied in october last cycle didn't get a decision until january... does it even mean anything that our addresses went long??
hows ED 2 compared to ED 1?
Dkk
0:10
No idea
windyMagician
0:34
reporting live to say my ndls address also went long
does it mean anything ^
Dkk
2:21
NDLS and Fordham took a very long time last year. It's good info for people to know.
[] baddestbunny
4:29
let’s get after it boys and girls
Dkk
5:21
I gtg to bed soon.
Dkk
5:22
Big day today. Gunna be a crazy one. I will sleep through the first half.
good morning lsd it is 5 am EST
also jazzy my ndls address went long ages ago i sadly do not think it means anything
my stanford address also went long LOL i think at most it's an indicator it's under review
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