Ethics in Brief: Considerations When a Third Party is Paying a Client’s Fees
By Anne M. Rudolph
There are various situations that may arise where an attorney may be asked to allow a third party to pay a client’s attorney’s fees and costs. Examples include a parent paying for their child’s criminal defense attorney or divorce attorney. When a third party is paying the bills, it is particularly important that an attorney not conflate the client with the person paying the bills, and that an attorney maintain client confidentiality by not sharing confidential communications with the third party.[1]