If an attorney requests that payments be sent to his office, you should:

If an attorney requests that payments be sent to his office, you should:

• A. Get it in writing
• B. It is illegal. Tell him it is unacceptable
• C. Make payments to the EE
• D. Delay payments until consent

Answer: (C)

The main idea here is that benefits in a workers’ compensation or self-insurance setting should go to the injured employee, not to a third party such as an attorney, unless there is a proper legal mechanism in place (like a valid attorney fee lien or court-approved arrangement). If an attorney asks to have payments sent to his office, you should continue paying the employee directly and handle any attorney fees only through the approved lien or fee process. This protects the employee’s rights to the benefits and avoids misdirection of funds. Getting it in writing isn’t enough by itself to change who receives the payments, because without a valid lien or approved fee arrangement, funds must still be paid to the employee. Saying it’s illegal is too absolute since there are legitimate, court-approved ways for an attorney to receive fees. Delaying payments until consent is inappropriate because it would withhold due benefits from the employee.

The main idea here is that benefits in a workers’ compensation or self-insurance setting should go to the injured employee, not to a third party such as an attorney, unless there is a proper legal mechanism in place (like a valid attorney fee lien or court-approved arrangement). If an attorney asks to have payments sent to his office, you should continue paying the employee directly and handle any attorney fees only through the approved lien or fee process. This protects the employee’s rights to the benefits and avoids misdirection of funds.

Getting it in writing isn’t enough by itself to change who receives the payments, because without a valid lien or approved fee arrangement, funds must still be paid to the employee. Saying it’s illegal is too absolute since there are legitimate, court-approved ways for an attorney to receive fees. Delaying payments until consent is inappropriate because it would withhold due benefits from the employee.