- Revenue Cycle Management
- COVID-19
- Reimbursement
- Diabetes Awareness Month
- Risk Management
- Patient Retention
- Staffing
- Medical Economics® 100th Anniversary
- Coding and documentation
- Business of Endocrinology
- Telehealth
- Physicians Financial News
- Cybersecurity
- Cardiovascular Clinical Consult
- Locum Tenens, brought to you by LocumLife®
- Weight Management
- Business of Women's Health
- Practice Efficiency
- Finance and Wealth
- EHRs
- Remote Patient Monitoring
- Sponsored Webinars
- Medical Technology
- Billing and collections
- Acute Pain Management
- Exclusive Content
- Value-based Care
- Business of Pediatrics
- Concierge Medicine 2.0 by Castle Connolly Private Health Partners
- Practice Growth
- Concierge Medicine
- Business of Cardiology
- Implementing the Topcon Ocular Telehealth Platform
- Malpractice
- Influenza
- Sexual Health
- Chronic Conditions
- Technology
- Legal and Policy
- Money
- Opinion
- Vaccines
- Practice Management
- Patient Relations
- Careers
Must you appear in court
I just received a subpoena. It says "Issued by the United States District Court," but it's signed by an attorney, not a judge. Do I have to appear?
Q: I just received a subpoena. It says "Issued by the United States District Court," but it's signed by an attorney, not a judge. Do I have to appear?
A: Probably. If the subpoena was properly served and meets all the court's rules, you have to appear even though it was not signed by a judge. In many states, subpoenas are commonly signed by a lawyer without any court involvement.
Nevertheless, before you go to court, call the lawyer who issued the subpoena to find out what he wants. If all he needs is your records-say, for a slip-and-fall case where you treated the plaintiff-you can provide them without appearing.
One caveat: If the case involves a suit against you, any communication demanding your appearance or records should have been sent to your lawyer, not to you personally. So, if you are party to this litigation, don't speak with the lawyer who issued the subpoena. Notify your own attorney.
