Referral fee rules · Alaska
Referral fees in Alaska
Alaska R. Prof. Cond. 1.5(e) · Proportional work or joint responsibility
Alaska follows the ABA pattern but frames it at the firm level: a division between lawyers not in the same firm is allowed only if it is in proportion to the contribution of each firm, or each firm assumes joint responsibility for the representation by written agreement with the client. The client must agree to each firm's participation, including the share each firm will receive, confirmed to the client in writing, and the total fee must be reasonable. Pure referral fees without contribution or joint responsibility are not permitted.
What Alaska requires
- • division proportional to each firm's contribution OR each firm assumes joint responsibility by written client agreement
- • client agrees to each firm's participation including the share each firm will receive
- • participation confirmed to the client in writing
- • total fee reasonable
Source: read the rule text
Educational summary, not legal advice. Rules change and several turn on the facts of the matter. Confirm against the current rule text and your own jurisdiction's version before agreeing to divide a fee. Remember that both the referring and receiving lawyer's rules can apply.
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The member tool takes both lawyers' jurisdictions, checks the division against each rule, flags anything that would not hold up, and drafts the agreement and the client consent. Membership is free.
Jurisdictions with a similar rule
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