Attorney Lien Notice

ATTORNEY LIEN NOTICE PREPARATION PACKET

DO NOT SEND OR FILE THIS PACKET. Complete the authority and client-file review first, then generate a jurisdiction-specific notice containing only the statements and requests the verified authority supports.

1. Matter and client information

2. Do-not-send authority gate

2.1 Governing jurisdictions

Identify every jurisdiction potentially governing the attorney-client relationship, fee agreement, underlying proceeding or claim, recovery, stakeholder, and proposed notice or filing.

[________________________________]

2.2 Current official authority record

☐ Every proposed legal effect has current official support.

☐ No official authority creates the proposed lien or procedure; do not send a document labeled as an attorney-lien notice.

☐ The matter needs jurisdiction-specific ethics or fee counsel before further action.

3. Citation and amendment screen

Case citations used, if any: [________________________________]

Case-citation verification completed on [__/__/____] by [________________________________].

Recent amendments, rule changes, court orders, and official-form updates checked: [________________________________]

Pending or newly enacted authority requiring follow-up: [________________________________]

4. Engagement and fee record

This packet does not assume that the fee agreement alone creates a lien, that every contractual charge is secured, or that an asserted amount is earned or undisputed.

5. Client status and authorization

5.1 Representation status

☐ Firm currently represents Client in the identified matter.

☐ Firm has been discharged or representation ended on [__/__/____].

☐ Withdrawal or substitution requires action in the tribunal or under a rule: [________________________________].

☐ Scope is limited as follows: [________________________________].

5.2 Client communication record

Do not imply that a client is barred from communicating, settling, changing counsel, disputing fees, receiving funds, or exercising another right unless current controlling authority supports that exact statement.

6. Proposed lien or notice scope

Select only after Section 2 confirms the category:

☐ charging lien against an identified recovery

☐ retaining or possessory lien affecting identified client property or file materials

☐ contractual security interest or assignment

☐ court-created, common-law, statutory, or other right: [________________________________]

☐ notice of representation only; no lien assertion

6.1 Covered property or proceeds

Describe the exact recovery, fund, judgment, settlement, claim, document, or property covered by verified authority:

[________________________________]

Excluded property, proceeds, benefits, claims, or documents:

[________________________________]

6.2 Amount

☐ fixed amount supported by attached accounting: $[____________]

☐ percentage or formula: [________________________________]

☐ amount not yet determinable; state only the method permitted by authority

☐ disputed amount to be held or resolved through: [________________________________]

Do not claim "all amounts owed," future unrelated fees, automatic costs, or a blanket interest in every insurance benefit unless the verified law and agreement cover those exact categories.

7. Recipient and delivery plan

Do not default to certified mail, email, personal service, court filing, insurer notice, or service on every party. Use the method and recipient the verified authority and tribunal rules require or permit.

8. Jurisdiction-specific notice builder

Use this section only after the do-not-send gate is cleared.

8.1 Header

Date: [__/__/____]

Delivery method required or selected: [________________________________]

Recipient: [________________________________]

Matter / claim / case: [________________________________]

8.2 Limited notice of representation

[Law Firm] represents [Client] in the following scope: [________________________________]. Future communications should be sent as follows, subject to the recipient's legal duties and any client authorization: [________________________________].

8.3 Verified lien assertion, if authorized

Under [exact current authority], [Law Firm] asserts [exact type of lien or right] concerning [precisely identified property or proceeds]. The verified creation, attachment, and perfection facts are:

[________________________________]

The amount or calculation supported by the fee agreement and accounting is:

[________________________________]

The lien or right does not extend to:

[________________________________]

8.4 Recipient request or duty

Current authority supports the following exact request or duty:

[________________________________]

8.5 Dispute and contact information

Questions, objections, fee disputes, or competing claims may be directed to:

[________________________________]

Applicable dispute, trust, court, or stakeholder process:

[________________________________]

8.6 Signature

9. Court-filing gate, if applicable

☐ No court filing is authorized or required.

☐ Current rule or order authorizes or requires a filing titled [________________________________].

Do not file the universal notice-builder text as a pleading or assume that notice alone permits participation in the underlying case.

10. Funds and competing claims

If money is received or held, record the governing procedure before distribution:

This packet does not authorize unilateral payment to the Firm, blanket withholding, or distribution contrary to client instructions, trust duties, court orders, or competing rights.

11. Final review checklist

☐ Current official authority supports the lien type, property, amount, attachment, perfection, recipient, method, and requested consequence.

☐ The fee agreement, accounting, client status, withdrawal or substitution record, and disputes were reviewed.

☐ Confidential or prejudicial information is limited to what may be disclosed.

☐ The notice distinguishes legal duties from requests.

☐ Unsupported co-payee, no-contact, double-liability, settlement-blocking, blanket-proceeds, automatic-fee, and automatic-filing language was not added.

☐ Required client, former-counsel, successor-counsel, stakeholder, party, court, and insurer notices are complete.

☐ Proof of filing, service, or delivery will be retained.

☐ The completed operative notice—not this packet—received jurisdiction-specific legal review.

12. Tracking log