This public information pamphlet describes your lawyer's voluntary commitment to provide high quality legal services.

The New Hampshire Bar Association Board of Governors endorses the following Declaration of Commitment to Clients to be voluntarily adopted by all New Hampshire lawyers. Regardless of why you have hired a lawyer, you have a right to expect that you will be treated in a professional, competent and courteous manner. This Declaration is a tool for lawyers to communicate to clients their commitment to the lawyer client relationship. You should ask if your attorney has seen this Declaration (show the attorney a copy of this pamphlet) and confirm that your attorney will make these commitments to you in performing legal services.

My Declaration Of Commitment To Client

• To treat you with respect and courtesy.
• To handle your legal matter competently and diligently, in accordance with the highest standards of the profession.
• To exercise independent professional judgment on your behalf.
• To charge a reasonable fee and to explain in advance how that fee will be computed and billed.
• To respond to telephone calls promptly.
• To keep you informed and provide you with copies of important papers.
• To respect your decisions on the objectives to be pursued in your case, as permitted by law and the rules of professional conduct, including whether or not to settle your case.
• To work with other participants in the legal system to make our legal system more accessible and responsive.
• To preserve the client confidences learned during our lawyer client relationship in accordance with applicable law.
• To secure and handle any client funds entrusted to my care honestly and in conformance with the record keeping and trust accounting rules of our Supreme Court.
• To work to resolve your legal matter as quickly and as inexpensively as the circumstances reasonably permit.
• To exhibit the highest degree of ethical conduct in accordance with the New Hampshire Rules of Professional Conduct.

These basic objectives should be applied to the facts of your case to provide a basis for a satisfactory lawyer client relationship. If you have questions about any of them, you should discuss them with your lawyer. The New Hampshire Bar Association also publishes a series of informational pamphlets on commonly encountered legal problems and a pamphlet entitled "Selecting, Hiring and Working With A Lawyer" that addresses in detail the lawyer/client relationship. Information about how to obtain any of these pamphlets and the other resources and services provided by the New Hampshire Bar Association are listed on the back panel of this pamphlet.

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