Legal Malpractice Statute of Limitations
Claims against an attorney for professional negligence that caused harm to a client.
Shortest
1
years, sourced states
Most Common
2
years, sourced states
Longest
6
years, sourced states
Figures reflect only the states sourced so far — they are not a national range until every jurisdiction is on file.
Filing window by state
State
Time Limit
Citation
What Does Legal Malpractice Cover?
01
Missed filing deadlines by an attorney
02
Conflicts of interest harming a client
03
Negligent advice causing financial loss
04
Failure to file required documents
Rules That Affect Your Deadline
Factors that can change when the clock starts or how much time you actually have.
01
Discovery rule applies
The clock often starts when the client knew or should have known of the malpractice.
02
Continuous representation
The clock may pause while the attorney continues representing the client on the same matter.
03
Underlying case outcome
Some claims cannot accrue until the underlying case they affected is resolved.
Most Searched States for Legal Malpractice
Common Questions About Legal malpractice Deadlines
What is the statute of limitations for legal malpractice?
It depends on the state. Across the 18 jurisdictions with a verified figure, the deadline for legal malpractice ranges from 1 year to 6 years, and 2 years is the most common.
Which state has the shortest statute of limitations for legal malpractice?
California, Kentucky, Ohio and Tennessee — 1 year.
Which state has the longest statute of limitations for legal malpractice?
Hawaii and Maine — 6 years.
Can the statute of limitations for legal malpractice be extended?
Sometimes. Common factors that change the deadline include: discovery rule applies; continuous representation; underlying case outcome. How they apply varies by state.
Explore Other Case Types
See every claim type charted for Florida with full citations and notes.
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