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Code of Conduct Law Society of Alberta Code of Conduct February 20, 2020 Law Society of Alberta Code of Conduct _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Table of Contents Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 1 Preface ...................................................................................................................................... 1 Chapter 1 – Interpretation and Definitions ............................................................................. 3 1.1 Definitions ............................................................................................................................... 3 Chapter 2 – Standards of the Legal Profession ..................................................................... 5 2.1 Integrity ................................................................................................................................... 5 Chapter 3 – Relationships to Clients ...................................................................................... 7 3.1 Competence ............................................................................................................................ 7 Definitions ....................................................................................................................................... 7 Competence .................................................................................................................................... 8 3.2 Quality of Service .................................................................................................................. 11 Quality of Service .......................................................................................................................... 11 Limited Scope Retainers............................................................................................................... 12 Honesty and Candour ................................................................................................................... 13 Client Instructions ......................................................................................................................... 14 Language Rights ........................................................................................................................... 16 When the Client is an Organization .............................................................................................. 17 Encouraging Compromise or Settlement ..................................................................................... 17 Threatening Criminal or Regulatory Proceedings ........................................................................ 18 Inducement for Withdrawal of Criminal or Regulatory Proceedings ............................................ 18 Fraud by Client or Others ............................................................................................................. 19 Fraud when Client an Organization .............................................................................................. 21 Clients with Diminished Capacity ................................................................................................. 22 3.3 Confidentiality ....................................................................................................................... 24 Confidential Information ................................................................................................................ 24 Use of Confidential Information .................................................................................................... 26 Future Harm / Public Safety Exception ........................................................................................ 27 Disclosure of Confidential Information by Lawyers ...................................................................... 28 3.4 Conflicts ................................................................................................................................ 30 Duty to Avoid Conflicts of Interest ................................................................................................ 30 _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Version #: 2020_V1 www.lawsociety.ab.ca February 20, 2020 Law Society of Alberta Code of Conduct _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Disputes ........................................................................................................................................ 32 Current Clients .............................................................................................................................. 33 Concurrent Clients ........................................................................................................................ 34 Joint Retainers .............................................................................................................................. 36 Acting Against Former Clients ...................................................................................................... 39 Conflicts from Transfer Between Law Firms ................................................................................ 42 Merged Firms ................................................................................................................................ 46 Conflict with Lawyer’s Own Interests ............................................................................................ 47 Doing Business with a Client ........................................................................................................ 47 Conflicts Arising from Relationships with Others ......................................................................... 50 Pro Bono Service – Alberta .......................................................................................................... 51 3.5 Preservation of Clients’ Property .......................................................................................... 54 Preservation of Clients’ Property .................................................................................................. 54 Notification of Receipt of Property ................................................................................................ 55 Identifying Clients’ Property .......................................................................................................... 55 Accounting and Delivery ............................................................................................................... 55 3.6 Fees and Disbursements ...................................................................................................... 57 Reasonable Fees and Disbursements ......................................................................................... 57 Contingent Fees and Contingent Fee Agreements ...................................................................... 58 Statement of Account ................................................................................................................... 58 Joint Retainer ................................................................................................................................ 59 Division of Fees and Referral Fees .............................................................................................. 59 Exception for Multi-discipline Practices and Inter-jurisdictional Law Firms ................................. 60 Payment and Appropriation of Funds ........................................................................................... 61 Prepaid Legal Services Plan ........................................................................................................ 61 3.7 Withdrawal from Representation .......................................................................................... 62 Withdrawal from Representation .................................................................................................. 62 Optional Withdrawal ...................................................................................................................... 62 Non-payment of Fees ................................................................................................................... 63 Withdrawal from Criminal Proceedings ........................................................................................ 64 Obligatory Withdrawal ................................................................................................................... 64 Manner of Withdrawal ................................................................................................................... 65 Duty of Successor Lawyer ............................................................................................................ 66 _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Version #: 2020_V1 www.lawsociety.ab.ca February 20, 2020 Law Society of Alberta Code of Conduct _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Leaving a Law Firm .....................................................................................................................
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