May lawyers who share office space and a common phone line answer the telephone as 'law offices'?

Short answer The committee was of the opinion that answering the telephone with the term 'law offices' is not misleading, and that neither Formal Opinion 178 nor RPC 7.5(d) would prohibit such conduct.

Bar

WSBA

Issued

1989

Apply this to your situation

This page answers the general question as of 1989. Ask about yours and see what the current Washington Rules of Professional Conduct say for your facts, with citations.

Disclaimer: Advisory only. Not binding precedent.

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

The inquiry concerned whether lawyers who share office space and have a common telephone line may answer the telephone with the term "law offices." The committee was of the opinion that answering the telephone with the term "law offices" is not misleading, and that neither Formal Opinion 178 nor RPC 7.5(d) would prohibit such conduct.

Currency note

This opinion was issued in 1989, before the Washington State Bar Association's adoption of the 2006 revisions to the Washington Rules of Professional Conduct. Subsequent rule amendments or later opinions may have changed the analysis. Treat this page as historical context, not current guidance. Verify against current rules before relying on any specific rule, deadline, or requirement mentioned here.

Common questions

Q: Can office-sharing lawyers answer a shared line as "law offices"?

A: Under this 1989 opinion, yes. The committee found the practice not misleading and not prohibited by RPC 7.5(d) or Formal Opinion 178.

Q: Why is "law offices" acceptable for lawyers who merely share space?

A: The committee concluded the phrase is not misleading in that context.

Q: What authorities did the committee consider?

A: RPC 7.5(d) and WSBA Formal Opinion 178.

Background and rules framework

RPC 7.5(d), in Washington's numbering, governs firm names and designations and corresponds to ABA Model Rule 7.5 on firm names and letterheads; it bars lawyers from stating or implying that they practice in a partnership or organization when that is not the case. The committee concluded that answering a shared line as "law offices" does not falsely imply a partnership and is not misleading, so neither RPC 7.5(d) nor Formal Opinion 178 prohibits it.

Citations and references

Rules of Professional Conduct:

ABA Model Rule 7.5 (firm names and letterheads)
Washington RPC 7.5(d)

Other authority:

WSBA Formal Opinion 178, considered by the committee.

Source

Landing page: https://ao.wsba.org/print.aspx?ID=384

Original opinion text

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

The Committee considered your inquiry concerning whether lawyers who share office space and have a common telephone line may answer the telephone with the term "law offices." The Committee is of the opinion that answering the telephone with the term "law offices" is not misleading and that neither Formal Opinion 178 nor RPC 7.5(d) would prohibit such conduct.

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