Opinion 1618

The Committee reviewed your inquiry regarding the duty of a lawyer to disclose his identity as a lawyer in a dispute with a neighbor. The Committee was of the opinion that the lawyer had no duty to disclose that he is a lawyer in any of the circumstances described in the inquiry [the lawyer asks the neighbor to pay funds owed, the lawyer sues his neighbor in small claims court or in a court of record such as Superior Court]. The Committee noted that if the lawyer were asked directly whether he was a lawyer, he would either have to disclose the fact or decline to answer.

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.