Legal Definitions - limited scope representation

Limited scope representation occurs when a lawyer and a client agree that the lawyer will handle only specific, clearly defined parts of a client's legal matter, rather than the entire case or issue. This arrangement allows clients to manage most of their legal affairs themselves while obtaining professional legal assistance for particular tasks, complex legal questions, or critical stages of a proceeding.

The agreement between the lawyer and client precisely outlines the scope of the lawyer's responsibilities, ensuring both parties understand what the lawyer will and will not do. In situations involving court proceedings, the lawyer may need to inform the court about the specific, limited nature of their representation.

Here are some examples of how limited scope representation might apply:

• Small Business Contract Review: A small business owner is negotiating a new partnership agreement. They are confident in handling the business terms and financial aspects themselves but want an attorney to review only the specific clauses related to liability, intellectual property rights, and dispute resolution mechanisms. The attorney's role is limited to scrutinizing these particular legal provisions and suggesting revisions, without participating in the broader negotiation or advising on the overall business strategy.

  This illustrates limited scope representation because the lawyer's involvement is precisely confined to reviewing specific legal sections of a document, rather than managing the entire contract negotiation process for the client.

• Estate Planning - Drafting Specific Documents: An individual wants to create a basic will and a durable power of attorney. They have already decided on their beneficiaries, executors, and agents. They hire a lawyer solely to draft these two specific legal documents, ensuring they are legally sound and properly executed according to state law. The lawyer does not provide comprehensive estate planning advice, tax planning, or guidance on other potential estate documents like trusts.

  Here, the lawyer's representation is limited to the task of drafting particular legal instruments based on the client's instructions, rather than offering a full spectrum of estate planning services.

• Landlord-Tenant Dispute - Court Appearance Only: A tenant is facing an eviction lawsuit. They have gathered all their evidence, prepared their defense, and feel capable of handling most pre-trial communications. However, they are anxious about speaking in court and want a lawyer to represent them *only* during the actual eviction hearing. The lawyer agrees to appear in court, present the tenant's case, and cross-examine witnesses, but will not handle discovery, settlement negotiations, or any post-judgment appeals.

  This scenario demonstrates limited scope representation as the attorney's role is strictly confined to a single, critical event in the legal process – the court hearing – with the client managing all other aspects of the dispute.