Advisory Opinion: 1441

Year Issued: 1991

RPC(s): RPC 1.14

Subject: Trust account; referral service fee

The Committee reviewed you inquiry regarding the handling of referral service fees. The Committee is of the opinion that there is no attorney-client relationship between the lawyer and the referral service and therefore the funds owed to the referral service are not client funds. Therefore, they should not be held in the client trust account.

Advisory Opinions are provided for the education of the Bar and reflect the opinion of the Committee on Professional Ethics (CPE) or its predecessors. Advisory Opinions are provided pursuant to the authorization granted by the Board of Governors, but are not individually approved by the Board and do not reflect the official position of the Bar association. Laws other than the Washington State Rules of Professional Conduct may apply to the inquiry. The Committee's answer does not include or opine about any other applicable law other than the meaning of the Rules of Professional Conduct.