
- Article
by Joseph Brophy for the Maricopa Lawyer, a publication of the Maricopa County Bar Association
- September 1, 2022
This month’s column discusses the intent of the ABA’s Resolution 402, which passed in August, reaffirming the ABA’s disapproval of the sharing of legal fees with non-lawyers as was established by ABA Model Rule 5.4. The August action comes shortly after an Arizona’s task force identified ER 5.4 as a barrier to innovation in the delivery of legal services and repealed the Rule to allow legal practices to experiment with alternative business models (including the utilization of non-lawyers) in the hopes that increased efficiencies will reduce the cost of legal services. Read about what’s likely behind the Rule, and what’s happening as Arizona experiments with its repeal.