Attorney Referral Fee Case Was ‘Prematurely’ Dismissed
Summary disposition was prematurely granted to the defendant in this dispute over attorney referral fees because discovery “had not begun in earnest”.
MSC: Attorney Fee-Split Requires Professional Relationship With Person Referred
A referring attorney must have an attorney-client relationship with the individual being referred in order for a fee-splitting agreement to be valid.
MRPC 1.5(e) Does Not Require Referring Attorneys to Have an Attorney-Client Relationship to Earn Referral Fees, According to the Michigan Court of Appeals
When law firms enter into referral agreements, the client must be advised of & not object to the division of fees, but the client need not have an attorney-client relationship with the referring firm.