What Is Limited Scope Representation?

Limited scope representation refers to specific legal tasks and assistance that an attorney provides to clients who wish to represent themselves in court. This assistance is limited rather than a full representation that includes the attorney appearing in court on behalf of the client which is the traditional understanding of the attorney-client relationship.

At David W. Smith II PLLC, you can turn to a highly-experienced legal professional in David Smith who provides limited scope representation, such as drafting pleadings and preparing you for your court appearances. These pleadings can involve any of his areas of practice or other legal areas. It can include matters involving divorce and family law, estate planning or administration, LGBT matters, and expungements of criminal records.

David can save you time, money, and stress by preparing your pleadings and legal documents and helping to ensure that you are ready when representing yourself in court.

Arrange for a free initial consultation with Texas and Oklahoma limited scope representation attorney David Smith by sending an email message to David or calling 469-460-8980 today.

Limited Scope Representation In Oklahoma And Texas

According to Rule 1.2(c) of the Oklahoma Rules of Professional Conduct, a limited scope representation lawyer “may draft pleadings or other documents for a pro se litigant to file with or present to a district court without the lawyer entering an appearance in the matter.” A pro se litigant is someone who represents himself/herself in a court case.

Such an attorney can also prepare you for your court case by explaining the legal process and how it works, answering any questions you have, and providing instructions as to where to go, where to park, court schedules, and more.

Limited scope representation allows your attorney to handle some of the aspects of your case while you handle the rest. It can not only include preparing documents but reviewing documents and providing advice concerning them. An example would be preparing a client for a small claims court case where the cost of hiring full-scope representation would outweigh the expected financial recovery from a successful claims judgment. However, as stated above, limited scope representation can involve many different types of court cases. Its benefit is the reduction of legal expenses for clients in need.

Limited scope representation is governed by Rule 33 under Oklahoma law. Under this law, the attorney is required to disclose his or her assistance to the court and that he/she will not be appearing on behalf of the client in court.