The Ohio Board of Professional Conduct releases an ethics guide on limited scope representation.

The Ohio Board of Professional Conduct releases an ethics guide on limited scope representation.

The Ohio Board of Professional Conduct has issued a new ethics guide to assist the bar in providing limited scope representation to clients.

The Ethics Guide on Limited Scope Representation addresses the ethical requirements applicable to lawyers who provide limited scope representation to clients. The guide includes “best practice” advice regarding limited scope engagements as well as sample forms and checklists that can be used by the client and lawyer.

Limited scope representation permits a client and lawyer to agree that the lawyer will provide separate and discrete legal services, while the client assumes responsibility for other legal tasks. Limited scope representation allows clients to receive the benefits of legal representation but at a lower cost. Common examples of limited scope representation are agreeing that a lawyer will prepare real estate documents, but not attend the closing, or having a lawyer participate in a mediation session, but not provide representation at trial should mediation efforts fail.

This new guide marks the fifth ethics guide issued by the Board of Professional Conduct since 2017. Prior guides have addressed file retention, succession planning, obligations when changing law firms, and issues faced by lawyers who are becoming judges. Ethics guides provide nonbinding advice from the staff of the board in response to frequent inquiries from the Ohio bench and bar.