The lawyer who withdraws from the solicitor-client relationship should take precautions to protect the client’s interests. The lawyer who withdraws from employment should act so as to minimize expense and avoid prejudice to the client, doing everything reasonably possible to facilitate the transfer to the client’s new lawyer. There are duties imposed upon the lawyer following withdrawal which facilitate the return of the file to the client and/or to transfer of the file to another lawyer.
There are certain circumstances where a lawyer may withdraw and other circumstances where the Code of Professional Conduct imposes a duty on the lawyer to withdraw. Some examples of circumstances in which a lawyer may withdraw include but are not limited to:
Some examples of circumstances under which a lawyer must withdraw include but are not limited to:
The client may terminate the solicitor-client relationship at will. However, the client’s right to have the file information returned following the lawyers’ withdrawal or termination is subject to the lawyer’s right to a solicitor’s lien.