<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=us-ascii">
<meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 14 (filtered medium)">
<!--[if !mso]><style>v\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
o\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
w\:* {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
.shape {behavior:url(#default#VML);}
</style><![endif]--><style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Tahoma;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Garamond;
panose-1:2 2 4 4 3 3 1 1 8 3;}
@font-face
{font-family:Webdings;
panose-1:5 3 1 2 1 5 9 6 7 3;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Arial Narrow";
panose-1:2 11 6 6 2 2 2 3 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:#0563C1;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:#954F72;
text-decoration:underline;}
span.EmailStyle17
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:windowtext;}
span.EmailStyle18
{mso-style-type:personal-reply;
font-family:"Garamond","serif";
color:windowtext;
font-weight:normal;
font-style:normal;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-size:10.0pt;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]-->
</head>
<body lang="EN-US" link="#0563C1" vlink="#954F72">
<div class="WordSection1">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Garamond","serif"">Here is my whole section on the subject:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Garamond","serif"">V. OWNERSHIP OF OFFICE FILE: During the course of your case you will be supplied with copies of all letters, pleadings and other documents generated or received by me.
At the conclusion of my representation of you as a client, because it is necessary for me to retain your file for my records, the office file belongs to me. Any original documents, photographs, or exhibits which you have provided to me will be returned to
you upon your request. Whenever possible, you will be asked to supply me with photocopies of requested documents such as tax returns and keep the original for your own files.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Garamond","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent:.5in"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Garamond","serif"">If you request that a duplicate file be produced at the end of my representation of you, there will be charges, payable in advance, including $.11 per
page for copying and a fee for the legal assistant’s and/or attorney’s time in preparing the file for release to you. Three months after the end of my representation of you, the file will be moved to my closed file storage area. If the file or any document
from the file is requested later than three months after the end of my representation of you, there will be a charge for retrieving the file or documents from storage. Six years after the end of my representation of you, the file may be destroyed without further
notice to you. Copies of documents which are filed with the court can be obtained from the court clerk’s office by you or through an attorney.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Garamond","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Garamond","serif""> Although our communications are privileged, in the event of my death or disability, another attorney or the Washington State Bar Association may have access to and
control of your file in order to make sure that it is properly managed, transferred or destroyed in accord with the legal and ethical requirements of the legal profession. This management shall include collecting accounts receivable.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Garamond","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Garamond","serif";color:black">Lisa E. Schuchman<br>
206-325-2801<br>
<a href="http://www.lisaschuchman.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color:blue">www.lisaschuchman.com</span></a><br>
<br>
Do something for somebody every day for which you do not get paid. –Albert Schweitzer<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Garamond","serif";color:black"> </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Garamond","serif";color:black">NOTE: I do not use encrypted email. Messages sent to or from my office via email are not secure and may not be protected by attorney-client privilege. This email
address is not monitored at all times. If your matter is urgent, please phone my office during regular business hours.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Garamond","serif";color:black">Any tax advice included in this document and its attachments was not intended or written to be used, and it cannot be used, for the purpose of avoiding penalties
under the Internal Revenue Code.</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:24.0pt;font-family:Webdings;color:green">P</span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial Narrow","sans-serif";color:green">
</span><b><span style="font-size:7.5pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";color:#008100">Please consider the trees before printing this document</span></b><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Garamond","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<div>
<div style="border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in">
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"">From:</span></b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif""> wsbapt-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com [mailto:wsbapt-bounces@lists.wsbarppt.com]
<b>On Behalf Of </b>Paul Neumiller<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Wednesday, January 20, 2016 9:59 AM<br>
<b>To:</b> wsbapt@lists.wsbarppt.com<br>
<b>Subject:</b> [WSBAPT] Fee Agreement Provision<o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">As I spend hours in the basement deciding which old files to shred, a thought came to mind. Does anyone out there in lawyerland use a provision/paragraph in his or her fee agreement that says, basically, the attorney has the right to destroy
the file after say, 7 years. I know one attorney’s fee agreement says that the attorney will retain the file for one year but is not obligated beyond the one year (BUT, he holds onto the file for at least seven years.) I am hoping this posting will address
the nature of a fee agreement provision and NOT the topic of how many years to retain files, based on type of file, etc.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a name="Paul_Neumiller"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><img border="0" width="375" height="225" id="_x0000_i1025" src="cid:image001.jpg@01D15371.1502F420"></span></a><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
</div>
</body>
</html>