SEYBURN, KAHN, GINN, BESS, DEITCH AND SERLIN, P.C., Plaintiff-Appellant, v KIRIT BAKSHI, Defendant-Appellee., 483 Mich. 345

Summary

In 1989, the client retained the law firm to represent him and his corporations in a legal action. The client ceased paying the legal bills in 1992. The Michigan Court of Appeals granted the law firm's motion to withdraw on September 30, 1993. The law firm filed a case on October 8, 1999 to recover for unpaid legal fees. Because the parties had an express contract with one another, the parties' obligations to one another were governed by the explicit terms of their contract and not a mutual and open account. The Supreme Court of Michigan held that the case was barred by the six-year statute of limitations set forth in MCL 600.5807(8). The cause of action to recover attorney fees accrued on the date the attorney-client relationship was terminated: September 30, 1993. The law firm's acts of reviewing, copying, and returning the file to client did not extend the accrual date. However, the minimal costs associated with the file-review services was a separate contract, and the claim to ...