Article 27 of the Saudi Law of Legal Practice
المادة 27 من نظام المحاماة · الباب الثاني: واجبات المحامين وحقوقهم
The Article allows a client to dismiss his lawyer, and requires him to pay the full agreed fees if the dismissal is proved to be without a legitimate reason, unless the competent court decides otherwise.
Official text (Arabic)
This article has not been amended since the law was issued.
للموكل أن يعزل محاميه، وعليه أن يدفع كامل الأتعاب المتفق عليها إذا ثبت أن العزل بسبب غير مشروع، ما لم تر المحكمة المختصة بنظر القضية غير ذلك بالنسبة للعزل وكامل الأتعاب .
This is the official Arabic wording, the only legally binding version. We do not translate the law itself; the explanation below is ours. Official source: Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers
Article 27 explained in plain English
This Article deals with the client's right to end his relationship with his lawyer, and the effect of that on the fees.
The right to dismiss: a client may dismiss his lawyer; the relationship does not oblige him to continue with a lawyer he does not want.
The effect of dismissal on fees: the client must pay the full agreed fees if the dismissal is proved to be without a legitimate reason. The obligation to pay the full fees is therefore tied to two things: the existence of agreed fees, and proof that the dismissal was without a legitimate reason.
The court's authority: this stands unless the court competent to hear the case decides otherwise as to the dismissal and the full fees. The court may therefore take a different view on the two points as it sees fit.
The Article does not list the legitimate reasons for dismissal, and does not itself state what the lawyer is entitled to if the dismissal is for a legitimate reason.
The Article is connected to Article 26, which makes the fees a matter of agreement and gives the court that heard the case authority to set them where there is no agreement or it is void or rescinded, and to Article 28, which regulates setting the fees on the lawyer's death.
Before dismissing a lawyer, it is advisable for the client to review the fee agreement and document the reasons for dismissal, and to consult a lawyer specializing in the laws regulating the legal profession to assess his position.
Practical example
A company in Khobar agreed specific fees with a lawyer in a commercial case, and then dismissed him midway through the case without his having fallen short in his work. If it is proved that the dismissal was without a legitimate reason, the company must pay the full agreed fees, unless the court competent to hear the case decides otherwise.
Translated from our Arabic explanation with machine assistance. For guidance only; it does not replace advice from a lawyer on your situation.
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Frequently asked questions about Article 27 of the Saudi Law of Legal Practice
May I dismiss my lawyer during the case?
Yes. A client may dismiss his lawyer.
Do I pay the full fees if I dismiss the lawyer?
The client must pay the full agreed fees if the dismissal is proved to be without a legitimate reason, unless the court competent to hear the case decides otherwise.
More articles on Legal Fees
- Article 22
The Article requires a lawyer to return the power of attorney and original documents to his client when the agency ends and he asks, and allows him to keep them until the due fees and the cost of copies are paid.
على المحامي عند انقضاء التوكيل ، أن يرد لموكله عند طلبه سند التوكيل والمستندات والأوراق الأصلية، ومع ذلك يجوز له إذا لم يكن قد حصل على أتعابه أن يستخرج على نفقة
- Article 26Amended by M/21
The Article makes the lawyer's fees and how they are paid a matter of agreement with his client, and if there is none, or it is void, or it is rescinded or terminated, the court sets them on dispute according to effort and benefit.
تحدد أتعاب المحامي وطريقة دفعها باتفاق يعقده مع موكله، فإن لم يوجد اتفاق أو كان الاتفاق باطلاً أو فُسخ أو انفسخ، قدرتها المحكمة التي نظرت في القضية عند اختلافهم
- Article 28
The Article provides that if the lawyer dies and his heirs and the client do not agree on the fees, the court that heard the case sets them in light of effort and benefit, the stage of the case and the agreement made.
في حالة وفاة المحامي وعدم اتفاق الورثة والموكل على تحديد الأتعاب ، تقدر المحكمة التي نظرت في القضية أتعابه في ضوء الجهد المبذول والنفع الذي عاد على الموكل والمر
The texts are reproduced from the official website of the Bureau of Experts at the Council of Ministers for reference; where they differ, the officially published Arabic text prevails. This content is not legal advice.