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The Legislative Service Commission staff updates the Revised Code on an ongoing basis, as it completes its act review of enacted legislation. Updates may be slower during some times of the year, depending on the volume of enacted legislation.

Section 2305.117 | Action upon a legal malpractice claim.

 

(A) Except as otherwise provided in this section, an action upon a legal malpractice claim against an attorney or a law firm or legal professional association shall be commenced within one year after the cause of action accrued.

(B) Except as to persons within the age of minority or of unsound mind as provided by section 2305.16 of the Revised Code, and except as provided in divisions (C) and (D) of this section, both of the following apply:

(1) No action upon a legal malpractice claim against an attorney or a law firm or legal professional association shall be commenced more than four years after the occurrence of the act or omission constituting the alleged basis of the legal malpractice claim.

(2) If an action upon a legal malpractice claim against an attorney or a law firm or legal professional association is not commenced within four years after the occurrence of the act or omission constituting the alleged basis of the claim, then, any action upon that claim is barred.

(C)(1) If a person making a legal malpractice claim against an attorney or a law firm or legal professional association, in the exercise of reasonable care and diligence, could not have discovered the injury resulting from the act or omission constituting the alleged basis of the claim within three years after the occurrence of the act or omission, but, in the exercise of reasonable care and diligence, discovers the injury resulting from that act or omission before the expiration of the four-year period specified in division (B)(1) of this section, the person may commence an action upon the claim not later than one year after the person discovers the injury resulting from that act or omission.

(2) A person who commences an action upon a legal malpractice claim under the circumstances described in division (C)(1) of this section has the affirmative burden of proving, by clear and convincing evidence, that the person, with reasonable care and diligence, could not have discovered the injury resulting from the act or omission constituting the alleged basis of the claim within the three-year period described in that division.

(D) An action upon a legal malpractice claim against an attorney or a law firm or legal professional association arising from an act or omission related to the attorney's, law firm's, or legal professional association's issuance of an opinion of title issued prior to June 16, 2021, shall be commenced within one year after the cause of action accrued without regard to when the act or omission constituting the alleged basis of the legal malpractice claim occurred.

Last updated June 15, 2021 at 5:03 PM

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