Grievance Form at a glance
What it is: The Grievance Form of the Office of the Chief Disciplinary Counsel, State Bar of Texas.
Where and when to file: THREE WAYS TO FILE: 1. ONLINE FILING AVAILABLE AT http://sbotservices.texasbar.com. 2. FAX FILING AVAILABLE AT (512) 427-4315 3. MAIL FILING TO P.O. BOX 13287, AUSTIN, TX 78711
What to bring and attach to Grievance Form
If you signed a contract and have a copy, please attach. If you have copies of checks and/or receipts, please attach. Do not send originals.
A filled-in Grievance Form example: a filer with no employer
How to fill out Grievance Form, box by box
INFORMATION ABOUT YOU -- PLEASE KEEP CURRENT
All questions on the grievance form must be answered completely. If a question doesn't apply to your situation, you must state “not applicable” or “N/A.” If you don't know the answer to a question, state that you don't know. Do not leave any section blank. Grievance forms that are not complete with required information will be automatically rejected and returned.
II. INFORMATION ABOUT YOU -- PLEASE KEEP CURRENT: fill in 1. TDCJ/SID #, Name, Immigration #, Address, City, State and Zip Code; 2. Employer and Employer's Address; 3. Telephone numbers: Residence, Work and Cell; 4. Email; 5. Driver's License # and Date of Birth; 6. Name, address, and telephone number of person who can always reach you in the event that the Office of Chief Disciplinary Counsel needs to locate you. Confidentiality is not waived and this individual does not have the authority to contact the Office of Chief Disciplinary Counsel to obtain information about this grievance.
7. The English language
7. Do you understand and write in the English language? If not, what is your primary language? Who helped you prepare this form? Will they be available to translate future correspondence during this process?
8. Are you a Judge?
8. Are you a Judge? Mark Yes or No. If yes, provide Court, County, City, State.
More rules for Grievance Form
Please give the date the attorney was hired or appointed. Please state what the attorney was hired or appointed to do.
5. What was your fee arrangement with the attorney? How much did you pay the attorney?
6. Are you currently represented by an attorney? Mark Yes or No. If yes, please provide information about your current attorney.
7. Do you claim the attorney has an impairment, such as depression or a substance use disorder? If yes, please provide specifics (your personal observations of the attorney such as slurred speech, odor of alcohol, ingestion of alcohol or drugs in your presence etc., including the date you observed this, the time of day, and location). 8. Did the attorney ever make any statements or admissions to you or in your presence that would indicate the attorney may be experiencing an impairment, such as depression or a substance use disorder? If so, please provide details.
Under IV. INFORMATION ABOUT YOUR GRIEVANCE, 1. Where did the activity you are complaining about occur? Enter the County and City.
3. Explain in detail why you think this attorney has done something improper or has failed to do something which should have been done. Attach additional sheets of paper if necessary.
Supporting documents, such as copies of a retainer agreement, proof of payment, correspondence between you and your attorney, the case name and number if a specific case is involved, and copies of papers filed in connection with the case may be useful to the investigation. Do not send originals, as they will not be returned. Additionally, please do not use staples, post-it notes, or binding.
Include the names, addresses, and telephone number of all persons who know something about the facts supporting your grievance.
Please be advised that a copy of your grievance will be forwarded to the attorney named in your grievance.
To protect your privacy and the privacy of others, please redact personal identifying information from any document you provide in support of your grievance and avoid submitting medical records or protected health information belonging to third-parties or another individual. If your grievance contains unredacted third party personal identifying information or another individual's protected health information, your grievance will be returned to you and not considered.
V. How did you learn about the State Bar of Texas' attorney grievance process? Check Yellow Pages, CAAP, Internet, Attorney, Other or Website.
If your situation is different
Before you file
If you are considering filing a grievance against a Texas attorney for any of the following reasons: You are concerned about the progress of your case. Communication with your attorney is difficult. Your case is over, or you have fired your attorney, and you need documents from your file or your former attorney. You may want to consider contacting the Client-Attorney Assistance Program (CAAP) at 1-800-932-1900. CAAP can resolve many problems without a grievance being filed. Mark I have or I have not contacted the Client-Attorney Assistance Program. If you prefer, you have the option to file your grievance online at http://sbotservices.texasbar.com. Any additional information/documentation you would like to include as part of your grievance submission must be received in the Office of the Chief Disciplinary Counsel by mail or fax within (10) days after submission of your grievance. Please limit your additional information to 25 pages. Please limit your supporting documentation to 25 pages. Information, including audio, video or image files, submitted on a USB thumb drive or flash drive must not exceed 25MB. Information received after the 10-day deadline will be returned and not considered, as well as information submitted on CDs, DVDs, cassette tapes or other unsupported media.
Are you an attorney?
9. Are you an attorney? Mark Yes or No. If “yes,” are you currently in litigation with the attorney named in this grievance? Mark Yes or No.
Name the attorney
You must specifically name the attorney against whom you are complaining. A separate grievance form must be completed for each attorney against whom you are complaining. Fill in 1. Attorney name, Address, City, State and Zip Code, and 2. Telephone number: Work, Home or Other.
3. Have you or a member of your family filed a grievance about this attorney previously? Mark Yes or No; if “yes”, please state its approximate date and outcome. Have you or a member of your family ever filed an appeal with the Board of Disciplinary Appeals about this attorney? Mark Yes or No; if “yes,” please state its approximate date and outcome.
4. Please check one of the following: This attorney was hired to represent me; this attorney was appointed to represent me; or this attorney was hired to represent someone else.
You hired the attorney
If you hired the attorney, tell how you met the attorney. Specifically, please provide details about how you came to know and hire this attorney.
Your grievance is about a lawsuit
2. If your grievance is about a lawsuit, answer the following, if known:
a. Name of court, b. Title of the suit, c. Case number and date suit was filed, d. If you are not a party to this suit, what is your connection with it? Explain briefly. If you have copies of court documents, please attach.
Signing the grievance
VI. ACKNOWLEDGMENT, AFFIRMATION, AND WAIVER: I hereby expressly waive any attorney-client privilege as to the attorney, the subject of this Grievance, and authorize such attorney to reveal any information regarding the professional relationship to the Office of Chief Disciplinary Counsel of the State Bar of Texas.
“I hereby swear and affirm that I am the person named in Section II, Question 1 of this form (the Complainant) and that the information provided in this Grievance is true and correct to the best of my knowledge.” Sign on the Signature line and fill in Date and Printed Name.
The grievance should be mailed or faxed
To ensure prompt attention, the grievance should be mailed or faxed to the Office of Chief Disciplinary Counsel, P.O. Box 13287 Austin, TX 78711, Fax: (512) 427-4315.
Common questions about Grievance Form
When is this form not the right one?
Grievances are not accepted against law firms.
Sources
[1] Grievance Form, Office of the Chief Disciplinary Counsel, State Bar of Texas (the Official source link on this page).
