Rule 3-132.Striking of attorney’s appearance

Rule 3-132 governs how an attorney gets out of a case once they're in it. Section (a) allows the easiest route, a simple notice of withdrawal, but only in two situations: the client already has another attorney of record, or the attorney's appearance was a limited appearance under Rule 3-131(b) and the specific matter it covered has wrapped up. Outside those situations, section (b) requires a motion to withdraw. Unless the attorney makes that motion in open court, it must come with either the client's written consent or the attorney's certificate confirming that notice was mailed to the client at least five days before filing — notice that warns the client the attorney intends to withdraw and advises the client to line up new counsel or tell the clerk in writing that they intend to proceed without one. Even after the motion is filed, the court generally can't strike the appearance until the time to request a hearing under Rule 3-311 has passed, unless the withdrawal is granted in open court. And the court can deny the motion outright if withdrawal would cause undue delay, prejudice, or injustice.

Section (c) handles the case where nobody files anything: once a final judgment is entered and no appeal is taken, the attorney's appearance automatically terminates when the appeal period expires. The court can override that automatic termination, on its own initiative or on a motion filed before the period runs out, if it wants the attorney to stay in the case for some further purpose.