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Ezel / Ethics Opinions / WSBA
WSBA 1990

Can a lawyer share office space with an independent insurance claims adjuster who is not a lawyer?

Short answer: The committee was of the opinion that nothing in the Rules of Professional Conduct prohibits a lawyer from sharing office space with an independent claims adjuster.

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This page answers the general question as of 1990. Ezel answers yours: whether it's allowed on your facts, under the current rules of professional conduct in your state, with citations.

Currency note: this opinion is from 1990
Subsequent statutory amendments, court decisions, or later opinions or rule amendments may have changed the analysis. Treat this page as historical context, not current legal advice. Verify current law before relying on any specific rule, deadline, or remedy mentioned here.
Disclaimer: Advisory only. Not binding precedent.
About this page: The plain-English summary, reader guidance, and Q&A below were written by Ezel based on the official ethics opinion. The original opinion (linked on this page) is the authoritative source for any reliance.

Plain-English summary

The inquiry concerned a lawyer sharing office space with an independent insurance claims adjuster, who is not a lawyer. The committee was of the opinion that nothing in the Rules of Professional Conduct prohibits a lawyer from sharing space with an independent claims adjuster. The committee's subject line keyed the question to RPC 5.4, on professional independence and fee-sharing with nonlawyers, and RPC 7.5, on firm names and letterhead.

Currency note

This opinion was issued in 1990, before the Washington State Bar Association's adoption of the 2006 revisions to the Washington Rules of Professional Conduct. Subsequent rule amendments or later opinions may have changed the analysis. Treat this page as historical context, not current guidance. Verify against current rules before relying on any specific rule, deadline, or requirement mentioned here.

Common questions

Q: Can a lawyer share office space with a nonlawyer claims adjuster?

A: Under this 1990 opinion, yes; the committee was of the opinion that nothing in the Rules of Professional Conduct prohibits sharing space with an independent claims adjuster.

Q: Which rules did the committee tie the question to?

A: The committee's subject line referenced RPC 5.4 (professional independence and fee-sharing with nonlawyers) and RPC 7.5 (firm names and letterhead).

Background and rules framework

At the time of this opinion, Washington's RPC 5.4 protected a lawyer's professional independence and restricted fee-sharing with nonlawyers, and RPC 7.5 governed firm names and letterhead, the subjects the Model Rules place in Rules 5.4 and 7.5. The committee concluded the rules do not bar an office-sharing arrangement with an independent, nonlawyer claims adjuster.

Citations and references

Rules of Professional Conduct:

  • ABA Model Rule 5.4 (professional independence of a lawyer)
  • ABA Model Rule 7.5 (firm names and letterhead)
  • Washington RPC 5.4, 7.5

See also

Source

Original opinion text

Reproduced from the official source for research purposes. The linked source is authoritative.

Full opinion text unavailable from the official source; see the linked source above for the complete text.

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