May appointed counsel for a father in juvenile court accept payment to represent him in a related dissolution?

Short answer The opinion permits the paid dissolution representation unless accepting compensation conflicts with the juvenile court’s appointment order.

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MOLEC

Issued

1997

Apply this to your situation

This page answers the general question as of 1997. Ask about yours and see what the current Missouri Rules of Professional Conduct say for your facts, with citations.

How much weight this carries: Under Missouri Supreme Court Rule 5.30, formal opinions are binding; informal opinions are advisory. Source.

About this page: The plain-English summary, reader guidance, and Q&A below were written by Ezel based on the official ethics opinion. The original opinion (linked on this page) is the authoritative source for any reliance.

Plain-English summary

A lawyer appointed for a father in a juvenile case asked whether the lawyer could accept payment from him for a dissolution involving the same primary issue.

The opinion allows the paid dissolution representation unless the compensation would conflict with the juvenile court’s appointment order. The published answer does not identify a professional-conduct rule.

Currency note

This opinion was issued in 1997, before Missouri’s 2007 revisions to the Rules of Professional Conduct. Subsequent rule amendments or later opinions may have changed the analysis. Treat this page as historical context and verify current rules before relying on it.

Common questions

Q: Does the shared issue itself bar the paid representation?

A: The answer does not say so; it makes the outcome depend on the terms of the appointment order.

Q: What condition limits accepting payment?

A: The payment must not conflict with the juvenile court’s order of appointment.

Background and rules framework

The published answer turns on the order of appointment issued by the juvenile court and cites no numbered rule.

Source

Landing page: https://mo-legal-ethics.org/informal-opinion/970090/
Rule revision reference: Missouri Informal Opinion 970082

Original opinion text

Reproduced from the official source for research purposes. The linked source is authoritative.

QUESTION: Attorney was appointed to represent the father in a juvenile case. The father is also involved in a dissolution, where the primary issue is to be the same as the issue to be determined by the juvenile court. Can Attorney accept money to represent the father in the dissolution when Attorney has been appointed to represent him in the juvenile case? ANSWER: Attorney may accept compensation from the father for representation in the dissolution unless that would conflict with the terms of the order of appointment issued by the juvenile court.

What do the rules say today, for your facts?

This opinion is from 1997. Ezel checks the current Missouri Rules of Professional Conduct against your situation and cites the rules it relies on.

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