Ethics Committee Inquiry #1984/5-15
Historically, there have been two types of liens which an attorney was entitled to impose on his or her client’s property. The first is the so-called charging lien. This lien is usually embodied in a state statute. Such is the case in New Hampshire. RSA 311:13, which is referred to in the February 1982, opinion of this committee, allows an attorney to employ such a lien in applicable situations. The statute provides for the imposition of a lien for reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs on a verdict or judgment decree of the Court.