What is a "legal malpractice" claim?

A "legal malpractice" claim specifically refers to allegations made against an attorney regarding their failure to provide competent representation to a client. This can encompass various issues, such as negligence, breach of fiduciary duty, or failure to meet the required standard of care that is expected from legal professionals. In essence, for a legal malpractice claim to succeed, it must generally be proven that the attorney's actions fell below the standard of care and that this directly resulted in some form of harm or financial loss to the client.

The significance of this definition lies in the attorney's professional responsibility to act in the best interest of their clients, adhering to established legal standards. If they fail to do so, clients may suffer adverse outcomes in their legal matters, thus providing grounds for a malpractice claim. Recognizing the need to protect clients from inadequate legal services, legal malpractice laws exist to hold attorneys accountable for their professional conduct.