Client & Family Lives with Lawyer

What is the name of your state? CA

I have a couple of questions about the opposing lawyer in our case. It is a property/child custody case. We are the petitioner, the ex is the respondent. The lawyer in this case has been suspended by the CA bar previously for one year.

1. Is it ethical for a lawyer to live with his client? (hence everyone we tell in the legal profession responds the same incredulous way.."he lives with his lawyer?")

2. Does this relationship mean that attorney/client privilage extends to 27/7 protection to find out info about possible fraud by said lawyer and client?

3. Is it ethical for a lawyer to loan the client money to pay self (lawyer fees), then charge interest on the loan? In addition, lawyer loans client money for everyday expenses (charges client and family rent)? By the way, Client doesn't work, his wife does the work. He stays home and surfs the net all day.

4. Is it ethical for said lawyer to file bankruptcy for said client and has included himself as a creditor in the petition for bankruptcy? Isn't that a conflict of interest?

5. Anything we can do about it?

I wish I was making all this up. There's more but for now this is enough.

1. Is it ethical for a lawyer to live with his client? (hence everyone we tell in the legal profession responds the same incredulous way.."he lives with his lawyer?")

A: Yes.


2. Does this relationship mean that attorney/client privilage extends to 27/7 protection to find out info about possible fraud by said lawyer and client?

A: No.


3. Is it ethical for a lawyer to loan the client money to pay self (lawyer fees), then charge interest on the loan? In addition, lawyer loans client money for everyday expenses (charges client and family rent)? By the way, Client doesn't work, his wife does the work. He stays home and surfs the net all day.

A: Yes and yes.


4. Is it ethical for said lawyer to file bankruptcy for said client and has included himself as a creditor in the petition for bankruptcy? Isn't that a conflict of interest?

A: Yes and no.
5. Anything we can do about it?

Your best source for your quesitons re CA BAR Ethics is the CA BAR ASSOCIATION or their code of ethics.
http://www.law.berkeley.edu/library/online/guides/californiaethics.pdf

Well, I guess I knew all along that lawyers were pigs.

bfunkjazz said:

Well, I guess I knew all along that lawyers were pigs.

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You came to a legal forum for information about CA attorney's ethics and I gave you a referal to the best source to answer your questions, how does that make lawyers pigs? It makes you have an attitude, perhaps even a pig, but that would be a disservice ot the pig.