The Florida Bar activates Lawyer Disciplinary Hotline due to Hurricane Ian and Hurricane Nicole
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The Florida Bar is activating its new Disciplinary Hotline with the impact of Hurricane Nicole and Hurricane Ian across the state. Floridians should call 833-979-8225 to report allegations of professional misconduct and unlawful solicitation by lawyers in the wake of Hurricane Nicole, and Hurricane Ian last month.
Any contact by a lawyer or a lawyer’s representative in person or by telephone asking to handle a specific case is a direct violation of The Florida Bar’s disciplinary rules, unless the injured party has requested contact from the lawyer. Florida Bar rules also prohibit lawyers from writing or emailing within 30 days of an accident or disaster unless they have been specifically asked to provide information.
As an official arm of the Florida Supreme Court, The Florida Bar is charged with enforcing Supreme Court rules of professional conduct for over 110,000 lawyers admitted to practice law in Florida. In that role, the Bar and its Division of Lawyer Regulation administer the statewide disciplinary system, accepting complaints against attorneys and actively investigating all legitimate allegations of fraud and misconduct, including those recently made following Hurricane Ian. The Florida Supreme Court is the final arbiter of attorney discipline sanctions.
Each year, The Florida Bar opens approximately 3,400 files for investigation, with 200-300 resulting in disciplinary action.
The Florida Bar maintains rigorous procedures for regulating attorney conduct, as established by the Florida Supreme Court, including preventing wrongdoing through proactive education and training, pursuing lawyer sanctions, and enforcing disciplinary actions. The Florida Bar also manages the Attorney Consumer Assistance Program, which staffs a toll-free hotline to resolve client-lawyer issues.
Read The Florida Bar’s Attorney Discipline guidelines for more information about the investigation and enforcement process.
If you have evidence of lawyer misconduct, call the Disciplinary Hotline now: 833-979-8225.