There are many reasons why firms close, some planned and some unplanned.

Regardless of the reason, the ethical duties of the attorneys in these situations are similar—to protect the clients’ interests. While there are no specific rules covering what lawyers need to do when closing a practice, there are basic ethical obligations.

The Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission’s “Basic Steps to Ethically Closing a Law Practice,” which can be found on Practice HQ, provides forms and suggested procedures to assist attorneys in closing a firm while meeting their ethical obligations.  

The document is one of many member resources available at Practice HQ, the ISBA’s one-stop microsite for practice management and technology information. Organized by the life cycle of a law practice, Practice HQ can help you start a firm, build, manage, protect, or wind down. Practice HQ content is members-only; you must log in to the ISBA website for full access.