Informal Opinion Number: 960178
Rules: 1.5(e)
Client-Lawyer Relationship
Fees
QUESTION: Attorney asks if it is permissible to share fees with an attorney from another state who is not licensed in Missouri and who referred a workers compensation case to Attorney. ANSWER: Based on the information Attorney has provided, the other attorney would be receiving the fee as a referral fee rather than as a fee based on the proportion of work performed or joint responsibility under Rule 4 dash–1.5(e). Referral fees are prohibited under Rule 4 dash–7.2(c) unless the referring entity is a registered referral service under Rule 4 dash–10.1.
Informal Opinions are ethics advisory opinions issued by the Office of Legal Ethics Counsel to members of the Bar about Rule 4 (Rules of Professional Conduct), Rule 5 (Complaints and Proceedings Thereon), and Rule 6 (Fees to Practice Law) pursuant to Missouri Supreme Court Rule 5.30(c). Written summaries of select Informal Opinions are published for informational purposes as determined by the Advisory Committee of the Supreme Court of Missouri pursuant to Rule 5.30(c). Informal opinion summaries are advisory in nature and are not binding. These opinions are published as an educational service and do not constitute legal advice.
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