Documented Fees Win Law Firm Collection Claims
Professional-services firms that keep affidavit-ready billing records can prevail on fee claims, while clients must respond with specific objections.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Professional Services
A Michigan court granted summary disposition to law firms Bodman PLC and Lennon Law PLLC on their account-stated claims, awarding them money judgments sought at $45,512.45 and $22,907.85, respectively. The court also dismissed the defendants' legal malpractice counterclaims against both firms as barred by the two-year statute of limitations, a ruling relevant to professional-services firms that bill clients and face counter-claims.
Why it matters
The ruling turns on documentation: the firms supplied affidavits with account balances, and the defendants filed no counter-affidavits identifying a specific billing error or amount, so a general complaint about bills was not enough to contest the debt. The malpractice counterclaims failed on timing, since the limitations period ran from when the attorney stopped serving the client on the matter, not from when the underlying appeal ended.
The players
Bodman PLC
Bodman PLC is a Michigan business and litigation law firm that was a plaintiff seeking an account-stated money judgment in this case.
Lennon Law PLLC
Lennon Law PLLC is a Michigan law practice that was a plaintiff seeking an account-stated money judgment and was named in the malpractice counterclaims.
The details
The plaintiffs moved for partial summary disposition under MCR 2.116(C)(8) and (C)(10), and the court found their prima facie showing of indebtedness unrebutted under MCR 2.116(G)(4). The counterclaims were dismissed under MCR 2.116(C)(7). Defendant Amy Mosher did not file an affidavit in response.
Timeline
The underlying litigation remained pending on appeal until February 18, 2025, which started the limitations analysis.
The court ruling granting summary disposition was published on November 3, 2026.
Market Landscape
The decision applies Michigan's summary disposition framework under MCR 2.116 to a collection claim brought by professional-services firms against former clients. It shows how firms that document billing with affidavits under MCL 600.2145 can win account-stated claims where defendants offer only general objections.
Professional-services firms should keep detailed, itemized account records and affidavit-ready balances, since these determine whether account-stated claims can be resolved on summary disposition. Operators should also note that malpractice limitations periods can run from when representation ends, so timing of any counterclaim matters for both sides; questions about specific claims belong with qualified counsel.
The takeaway
Firms collecting unpaid fees should maintain account balances that meet the affidavit standard, because unrebutted documentation can carry the claim. Defendants should answer such claims with specific counter-affidavits rather than general objections, and any questions on applying these rules to a particular matter should go to qualified counsel.
Further reading
For related coverage, explore Professional Services in Michigan.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Michigan Lawyers Weekly.
