Odškodninska odgovornost odvetnika zaradi kršitve pogodbenih obveznosti

Ličen, Nina (author), Galič, Aleš (mentor)

Kršitev odvetnikove skrbnosti pomeni ravnanje, pri katerem odvetnik ni pokazal in izkazal tipične oziroma običajne skrbnosti povprečnega strokovnjaka na njegovem področju. Odvetnik lahko zaradi svojega ravnanja odgovarja na podlagi civilnopravne oziroma odškodninske, kazenske in disciplinske odgovornosti. Odškodninska odgovornost odvetnika je opredeljena s splošnimi pravili v Obligacijskem zakoniku, kot lex specialis pa v Zakonu o odvetništvu, Statutu Odvetniške zbornice Slovenije in Kodeksu poklicne etike Odvetniške zbornice Slovenije. Odvetnik praviloma odgovarja na podlagi pogodbene narave odnosa med njim in stranko, zaradi česar je bistvena mandatna ali podjemniška pogodba. V primeru, da škoda stranki ne nastane s kršitvijo poslovnih obveznosti, pa bi lahko njegovo odgovornost presojali tudi po pravilih za delikt. Stranka mora v postopku zoper odvetnika dokazati, da je med njo in odvetnikom obstajalo mandatno razmerje in pa kumulativno podane predpostavke odškodninske odgovornosti, in sicer: (i) kršitev pogodbene obveznosti, ki ima znake protipravnega stanja; (ii) vzrok za kršitev, ki izhaja iz sfere odvetnika; (iii) nastanek škode; in (iv) vzročno zvezo med kršitvijo pogodbene obveznosti in škodo. Na stranki je tako trditveno in dokazno breme, da dokaže, da je odvetnik s svojimi dejanji / opustitvami prekršil obveznosti tega razmerja ter da bi stranka s pretežno verjetnostjo v prvotnem postopku uspela, če bi odvetnik ravnal na pravilen način in z ustrezno skrbnostjo ter da je stranki zaradi tega nastala škoda. Odvetniki imajo svojo odgovornost zavarovano, posledično jim to omogoča varstvo, stranki pa zaščito, v primeru, če bi ji odvetnik pri svojem delu povzročil škodo, saj bi jo imela stranka možnost uveljavljati iz naslova zavarovanja poklicne odgovornosti.

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: Odškodninska odgovornost odvetnika, poslovna odškodninska odgovornost odvetnika, neposlovna odškodninska odgovornost odvetnika, mandatna pogodba, podjemna pogodba, skrbnost dobrega strokovnjaka, zavarovanje odgovornosti odvetnika.
• Work type: Master's thesis/paper
• Typology: 2.09 - Master's Thesis
• Organization: PF - Faculty of Law
• Year: 2022
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-139646
• COBISS.SI-ID: 122442755
• Publication date in RUL: 06.09.2022

Secondary language

• Language: English
• Title: Civil liability of a lawyer for a breach of contractual obligations

Abstract

A lawyer's breach of duty of care is an act in which the lawyer has failed to exercise and demonstrate the typical or ordinary care of an average professional in his or her field. A lawyer may be held liable for his or her conduct under civil liability, also called damage liability, criminal liability and disciplinary liability. The liability for damages of a lawyer is defined by the general rules in the Obligations Code, and as lex specialis in the Attorneys Act, the Statute of the Bar Association of Slovenia and the Code of Professional Ethics of the Bar Association of Slovenia. As a general rule, a lawyer is liable on the basis of the contractual nature of the relationship between him/her and the client, which is why the definition of a mandate or sub-contract is essential. However, if the damage to the client is not caused by a breach of contractual obligations, the lawyer's liability could also be assessed under the rules of tort. In the proceedings, the client must prove that a mandate relationship existed between him/her and the lawyer, and the cumulative existence of the following prerequisites for liability for damages: (i) a breach of a contractual obligation which has the elements of an unlawful condition; (ii) a cause of the breach arising from the lawyer's sphere of competence; (iii) the occurrence of damage; and (iv) a causal link between the breach of the contractual obligation and the damage. The client thus bears the burden of proof to prove that the lawyer's acts/omissions breached the obligations of the relationship and that the client would have succeeded in the original proceedings by a reasonable probability if the lawyer had acted in a proper manner and with due care and that the client has suffered damage as a result of the breach. Lawyers are insured for their liability, which gives them and the client protection in the event that the lawyer causes damage to the client in the course of his or her work, as the client would be able to claim compensation under professional indemnity insurance.

• Keywords: Lawyers' liability for damages, lawyers' professional liability for damages, lawyers' non-professional liability for damages, mandate agreement, sub-contract, professional diligence, insurance of lawyers' liability.