WSBA 1997

Can a lawyer use a single telephone line for both a non-law business and the law practice?

Short answer: The committee said using one telephone line for both a business and a law practice is not misleading in violation of RPC 7.1(a), but an attorney using a dual line should be mindful of RPC 1.6.

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This page answers the general question as of 1997. Ezel answers yours: whether it's allowed on your facts, under the current rules of professional conduct in your state, 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 Not binding precedent.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 committee said that the use of one telephone line for both a business and a law practice is not misleading in violation of RPC 7.1(a). It added that an attorney using such a dual line should be mindful of RPC 1.6.

Currency note

This opinion was issued in 1997, before the Washington State Bar Association's adoption of the 2006 revisions to the 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 Treat this page as historical context, not current guidance.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. Washington's RPC 1.6 and 7.1 correspond to ABA Model Rules 1.6 (confidentiality) and 7.1 (communications concerning a lawyer's services).

Common questions

Q: Is sharing one phone line between a business and a law practice misleading?

A: The committee said it is not misleading in violation of RPC 7.1(a).

Q: What should the lawyer watch for when sharing a line?

A: The committee said the attorney using a dual line should be mindful of RPC 1.6, the confidentiality rule.

Background and rules framework

The opinion applied RPC 7.1(a) (the bar on false or misleading communications about a lawyer's services, corresponding to ABA Model Rule 7.1) and RPC 1.6 (confidentiality, corresponding to ABA Model Rule 1.6) to a shared telephone line. The committee found no misleading-communications problem in the shared line itself, while pointing to confidentiality as the duty the arrangement puts at risk.

Citations and references

Rules of Professional Conduct:

ABA Model Rule 1.6 (confidentiality); Washington RPC 1.6
ABA Model Rule 7.1 (communications concerning a lawyer's services); Washington RPC 7.1(a)

Source

Landing page: https://ao.wsba.org/print.aspx?ID=774

Original opinion text

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

Advisory Opinion: 1700
Year Issued: 1997
RPC(s): RPC 1.6; 7.1(a)
Subject: Use of one telephone line for both business and law practice

The use of one telephone line for both a business and a law practice is not misleading in violation of 7.1(a), but an attorney using a dual line should be mindful of RPC 1.6.

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