Email WV Code

Email: Chapter 46A, Article 6N, Section 5

§46A-6N-5. Litigation financing contracts; disclosures.

(a) A litigation financing contract shall contain the disclosures specified in this section, which shall constitute material terms of the litigation financing contract.

(b) Unless otherwise specified, the disclosures shall be typed in at least 14-point, bold font and be placed clearly and conspicuously within the litigation financing contract, as follows:

(1) Each contract shall include consumer disclosures on the first two pages, to the extent possible. The consumer disclosures shall include:

(A) Notification that some or all of the funded amount may be taxable;

(B) A description of the consumer’s right of rescission;

(C) The total funded amount provided to the consumer under the contract;

(D) An itemization of charges;

(E) The total amount due from the consumer, in six-month intervals for 42 months, including all charges and fees;

(F) A statement that there are no charges or fees to be paid by the consumer other than what is disclosed on the disclosure form;

(G) In the event the consumer seeks more than one litigation financing contract, a disclosure providing the cumulative amount due from the consumer for all transactions, including charges under all contracts, if repayment is made any time after the contracts are executed;

(H) A statement that if there is no recovery of any money from the consumer’s legal claim, the consumer shall owe nothing to the litigation financier;

(I) A statement that if the net proceeds of the claim are insufficient to repay the consumer’s indebtedness to the litigation financier, the litigation financier shall accept a reduced sum as full payment of its funded amount and charges; and

(J) The following:

Consumer’s Right to Cancellation: You may cancel this contract without penalty or further obligation within five (5) business days from the date you signed this contract or received financing from [insert name of the litigation financier] by: returning the funds to [insert name, office address, and office hours of the litigation financier] or by U. S. mail [insert name and mailing address of litigation financier]. For purposes of the return deadline by U. S. mail, the postmark date on the returned funds or, if mailed by registered or certified mail, the date of the return receipt requested shall be considered the date of return.

(2) Within the body of the litigation financing contract, the following:

The litigation financier agrees that it has no right to and will not make any decisions about the conduct of your lawsuit or dispute and that the right to make those decisions remains solely with you and your attorney;

(3) Within the body of the litigation financing contract, in all capital letters contained within a box, the following:

THE FUNDED AMOUNT AND AGREED-TO CHARGES SHALL BE PAID ONLY FROM THE PROCEEDS OF YOUR LEGAL CLAIM AND SHALL BE PAID ONLY TO THE EXTENT THAT THERE ARE AVAILABLE PROCEEDS FROM YOUR LEGAL CLAIM. YOU WILL NOT OWE (INSERT NAME OF THE LITIGATION FINANCIER) ANYTHING IF THERE ARE NO PROCEEDS FROM YOUR LEGAL CLAIM, UNLESS YOU HAVE VIOLATED ANY MATERIAL TERM OF THIS CONTRACT OR YOU HAVE COMMITTED FRAUD AGAINST THE LITIGATION FINANCIER;

(4) Located immediately above the place on the litigation financing contract where the consumer’s signature is required, the following:

DO NOT SIGN THIS CONTRACT BEFORE YOU READ IT COMPLETELY. IF THIS CONTRACT CONTAINS ANY INCOMPLETE SECTIONS, YOU ARE ENTITLED TO A COMPLETELY FILLED-IN COPY OF THE CONTRACT PRIOR TO SIGNING IT. BEFORE YOU SIGN THIS CONTRACT, YOU SHOULD OBTAIN THE ADVICE OF AN ATTORNEY. DEPENDING ON THE CIRCUMSTANCES YOU MAY WANT TO CONSULT A TAX ADVISOR, A FINANCIAL PROFESSIONAL, OR AN ACCOUNTANT.