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Is it ethical for an attorney to sell her services on odesk or elance?

Professional Ethics 7 views 3 answers
I see that many attorneys use elance and odesk to find clients. It is my understanding that both services charge certain percentage on top of the provider's fee. To me, it looks like fee sharing with non-lawyers which is prohibited under attorney ethics rules. What am I missing?

Attorney Answers

3
Michael Bruno ·
It depends on the specifics of the arrangement. If the fee is a flat advertising fee or something along those lines - there is no fee share. If the site gets a percentage of the total fee going forward - it would appear to be a violation. Far more information is required.
0 upvotes
Robert Daniel SianoCriminal Defense AttorneyWhite Plains, NY ·
If an attorney is splitting a fee with a non-attorney, then there are ethical considerations. However, practically, I see many attorneys soliciting clients on these sites and it seems to be an accepted practice. I know a lawyer who solicits contract clients on Elance for a number of years without any ethical consequences.
0 upvotes

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