Bill > HB4573

This bill amends the Texas Government Code to modify civil liability provisions related to barratry (the illegal solicitation of legal services). The bill allows clients to bring an action to void a contract for legal services that was improperly procured through prohibited solicitation techniques, with a new provision that clients can pursue such actions regardless of whether the contract was voluntarily voided. Additionally, the bill introduces significant sanctions for attorneys who bring these actions under certain circumstances. Specifically, if an attorney pursues a barratry-related action on behalf of a client and fails to establish that the original legal services contract was improperly solicited, and the court determines the action was groundless, the attorney may be required to reimburse the defendant's court costs and attorney's fees, as well as pay an additional punitive amount designed to deter future similar actions. The bill applies only to actions filed on or after its effective date of September 1, 2025, and aims to discourage frivolous legal actions related to attorney solicitation misconduct while providing a mechanism for clients to challenge contracts obtained through inappropriate means.

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https://capitol.texas.gov/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=89R&Bill=HB4573