Referral fee rules · New Hampshire
Referral fees in New Hampshire
N.H. R. Prof. Conduct 1.5(f) · Pure referral fee permitted
New Hampshire places its fee-division rule in Rule 1.5(f) and allows the division to be made either in reasonable proportion to the services performed or responsibility or risks assumed by each lawyer, or simply based on an agreement with the referring lawyer, which permits pure referral fees. In either case the client must agree to the division in a writing signed by the client, and the total fee charged by all lawyers must not be increased by the division and must be reasonable. The no-increase condition is unusual; only a few states impose it.
What New Hampshire requires
- • Division in reasonable proportion to services, responsibility, or risks assumed, OR based on an agreement with the referring lawyer
- • Client agrees to the fee division in a writing signed by the client
- • Total fee is not increased by the division
- • Total fee is 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.
Members can draft this in a minute
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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