Legalethics.com

Lawyer may participate with a for-profit Internet entity that provides users access to list of lawyers willing to provide services for fixed fees or lower rates

Peterk — Thu, 11 Apr 2002 03:07:14 +0000

A Washington lawyer is not prohibited from entering into an agreement, such as that required by the for profit Internet entity that operates a Web site providing users of the site access to lawyers who are willing to provide legal services for fixed fees or lower hourly rates. Informal opinion 1947 (2001) Such an agreement does not entail fee sharing with a nonlawyer, and/or indirect payment of a referral fee to a for profit referral service.

Lawyer may ethically make payments to an Internet services directory for advertising the lawyer’s services

Peterk — Sun, 17 Jun 2001 04:00:00 +0000

In Md. State Bar Assn. Committee on Ethics Opinion 01-03 (May 16, 2001), the committee opined that a proposed Internet business that would bring lawyers together with potential clients and which would share in the resulting fees, was not ethically permissible on the grounds that it would (a) involve prohibited fee sharing with nonlawyers, (b) pose risk of conflicts, and (c) potentially endanger prospective clients; attorney-client privilege. Maryland ethics opinions are not available online without an account.

Proposal by Washington lawyer to participate as owners of Internet company raises ethical concerns

Peterk — Thu, 08 Feb 2001 03:02:51 +0000

Proposal by a Washington lawyer participate as owners in a company, in which other owners are presumably not lawyers, to market the firm’s legal services through a Web site raises fee sharing and otehr ethical concerns. Informal opinion 1930 (2000).

Proposal to open National Internet Law Office does not comply with Washington advertising rules

Peterk — Wed, 07 Apr 1999 02:57:06 +0000

Proposal to open National Internet Law Office does not comply with Washington state advertising rules relating to trade names and raises conflicts, fee splitting, and confidentiality concerns. Informal opinion 1831 (1998).