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discipline 30 September 2026

The duty in context

Account for interest on client money money

The lawyer must account to the client (or third party) for a fair sum of interest earned on client money held, above any regulatory threshold.

94 cases 71% strike-off avg suspension 8.5 mo avg fine 17,000 19 with dishonesty finding

How the codes express this duty

E&W Solicitors SRA Principles & Code SAR Rule 7.1 strong 69 cases
7.1 You account to clients or third parties for a fair sum of interest on any client money held by you on their behalf.
E&W Barristers BSB Handbook no clear equivalent
Cayman Islands Legal Services Code 2026 no clear equivalent
AU Solicitors Solicitors' Conduct Rules no clear equivalent
AU Barristers Uniform Barristers Rules no clear equivalent
IE Solicitors Law Society Guide Ch10 — Interest on client monies strong 21 cases
A solicitor must account to a client for interest earned and/or charged on the client's monies where the amount of interest earned exceeds the amount specified by regulation.
IE Barristers Bar Code of Conduct no clear equivalent
JM Attorneys Canons of Professional Ethics no clear equivalent
JE Lawyers Law Society of Jersey Code no clear equivalent
ON Lawyers LSO Rules of Prof. Conduct no clear equivalent
BC Lawyers BC Code no clear equivalent
NZ Lawyers Conduct & Client Care Rules no clear equivalent
SCO Solicitors LSS Standards of Conduct no clear equivalent
SG Lawyers Professional Conduct Rules 2015 no clear equivalent
HK Solicitors Solicitors' Guide Principle 7.04 Commentary partial
This Principle also applies to the receipt by a solicitor of, for example, interest on client accounts, commissions received from insurance companies and agents and from stock brokers and from estate agents.
HK Barristers Bar Code of Conduct no clear equivalent

Cases dealing with this duty

Clear

94 decisions · link basis: found breached = a tribunal finding; rule cited = the mapped provision is cited in the decision; text match = high-precision text pattern

  • Jacqueline M Durcan
    LSI solicitor Durcan’s Solicitors, No 1 Hazel Grove, Spencer Park, Castlebar, Co Mayo 2014-07-28 found breached

    In the matter of Jacqueline M Durcan, solicitor, formerly practising as Durcan’s Solicitors, No 1 Hazel Grove, Spencer Park, Castlebar, Co Mayo, and in the matter of the Solicitors Acts 1954-2008 [7083/DT14/12 and 2014 …

    strike_off View decision
  • Declan McEvoy
    LSI solicitor William Early Solicitors, 1 Haymarket, Carlow, and JM McEvoy & Co, Solicitors, The Avenue, Gorey, Co Wexford 2014-07-14 found breached

    In the matter of Declan McEvoy, solicitor, formerly practising as principal of William Early Solicitors, 1 Haymarket, Carlow, and JM McEvoy & Co, Solicitors, The Avenue, Gorey, Co Wexford, and in the matter of the Solic…

    strike_off View decision
  • Christopher Lynch
    LSI solicitor Christopher Lynch Solicitors, 99 O’Connell Street, Limerick 2014-07-07 found breached

    In the matter of Christopher Lynch, a solicitor previously practising as Christopher Lynch Solicitors at 99 O’Connell Street, Limerick, and in the matter of the Solicitors Acts 1954-2011 [8386/DT72/13 and High Court rec…

    suspension View decision
  • David Walsh
    LSI solicitor David Walsh & Co, Solicitors, 12 Mount Street, Mullingar, Co Westmeath 2014-05-27 found breached

    In the matter of David Walsh, solicitor, formerly practising as David Walsh & Co, Solicitors, at 12 Mount Street, Mullingar, Co Westmeath, and in the matter of the Solicitors Acts 1954-2011 [4550/DT20/12 and 2014 no 39 …

    strike_off View decision
  • Michele O'Keeffe
    LSI solicitor Michele O’Keeffe & Company, 1 Cornmarket Street, Ennis, Co Clare 2014-01-13 found breached

    In the matter of Michele O’Keeffe, a solicitor previously practising as Michele O’Keeffe & Company, 1 Cornmarket Street, Ennis, Co Clare, and in the matter of the Solicitors Acts 1954-2011 [8246/DT151/12 and 2013 no 109…

    strike_off View decision
  • Benny Thomas
    SDT solicitor 11262/2014 2014-01-01 found breached text match

    Breaches, Failures, Solicitors' Accounts Rules

    Reprimand, Strike off 1 PDF View decision
  • Richard Arnold Wilkes
    SDT solicitor 11281/2014 2014-01-01 rule cited

    Breaches, Failures, Solicitors' Accounts Rules

    Strike off 1 PDF View decision
  • Patrick Aidan Crowley
    LSI solicitor Egan Daughter & Company, Solicitors, Church Street, Castlebar, Co Mayo 2013-04-15 found breached

    In the matter of Patrick Aidan Crowley, a solicitor previously practising as a partner in the firm of Egan Daughter & Company, Solicitors, Church Street, Castlebar, Co Mayo, and in the matter of the Solicitors Acts 1954…

  • Kenneth Richard Harris
    SDT solicitor 11161/2013 2013-01-01 rule cited

    Breaches, Client Money, Failures, Solicitors' Accounts Rules

    Strike off 1 PDF View decision
  • Richard Caplan
    SDT solicitor 11113/2013 2013-01-01 found breached

    Breaches, Failures, Others

    Strike off 1 PDF View decision
  • Marc Joseph Levy
    SDT solicitor 10975/2012 2012-01-01 found breached

    Breaches, Client Money, Failures, Others, Solicitors' Accounts Rules

    Strike off 1 PDF View decision
  • Terence James Synnott
    SDT solicitor 11047/2012 2012-01-01 found breached

    Breaches, Solicitors' Accounts Rules

    Strike off 1 PDF View decision
  • William John Owen
    SDT solicitor 11068/2012 2012-01-01 rule cited

    Breaches, Client Money, Criminal Convictions, Failures, Solicitors' Accounts Rules

    Strike off 1 PDF View decision
  • Simon William Griffiths
    SDT solicitor 11100/2012 2012-01-01 rule cited

    Breaches, Client Money, Failures, Others, Solicitors' Accounts Rules

    Strike off 1 PDF View decision
  • Brian Johnston
    LSI solicitor Brian Johnston & Co, Solicitors, 79 Park Street, Dundalk, Co Louth 2011-10-17 found breached

    In the matter of Brian Johnston, a solicitor formerly practising as Brian Johnston & Co, Solicitors, 79 Park Street, Dundalk, Co Louth, and in the matter of the Solicitors Acts 1954-2008 [6927/DT64/10 and High Court rec…

    strike_off View decision
  • Peter McGarry
    LSI solicitor Peter McGarry & Co, Solicitors, 27 Capel Street, Dublin 1 2011-05-30 found breached

    In the matter of Peter McGarry, a solicitor, formerly practising as Peter McGarry & Co, Solicitors, 27 Capel Street, Dublin 1, and in the matter of the Solicitors Acts 1954-2008 [4989/DT02/11 and High Court record no 20…

    strike_off View decision
  • David Santiago Morales
    GLC attorney 34 of 2009 2010-05-15 found breached

    Restitution Ordered | Disciplinary Committee decision delivered May 15, 2010. View PDF DECISION OF THE DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE OF THE GENERAL LEGAL COUNCIL COMPLAINT NO. 34/2009 IN THE MATTER OF EDNA THORPE v DAVID MORAL…

    Restitution Ordered 1 PDF View decision
  • Martyn Wright
    SDT solicitor 10553/2010 2010-01-01 found breached

    Breaches, Client Money, Failures, Solicitors' Accounts Rules, Others

    Suspend - Indefinite 1 PDF View decision
  • Joan Quinn
    LSI solicitor Quinn & Co, Solicitors, at 23A The Village Green, Tallaght, Dublin 24 2009-10-12 found breached

    In the matter of Joan Quinn, a solicitor formerly practising as Quinn & Co, Solicitors, at 23A The Village Green, Tallaght, Dublin 24, and in the matter of the Solicitors Acts 1954-2008 [6646/DT25/09 and High Court Reco…

    strike_off View decision
  • Ciaran R Callan
    LSI solicitor Callan & Company, Solicitors, River Bank House, Dodder Park Drive, Dublin 14 2009-07-13 found breached

    In the matter of Ciaran R Callan, a solicitor formerly practising as Callan & Company, Solicitors, River Bank House, Dodder Park Drive, Dublin 14, and in the matter of the Solicitors Acts 1954-2008 [4316/DT79/08 and Hig…

    strike_off View decision
  • Andrew James Watkins
    SDT solicitor 10172/2009 2009-01-01 found breached

    Breaches, Client Money, Failures, Solicitors' Accounts Rules

    Strike off 1 PDF View decision
  • Joseph Fahey
    LSI solicitor Ballygar Road, Mountbellew, Co Galway 2008-04-07 found breached

    In the matter of Joseph Fahey, solicitor, of Ballygar Road, Mountbellew, Co Galway, and in the matter of the Solicitors Acts 1954-2002 [6687/DT68/06 and High Court record no 2SA 2008] Law Society of Ireland (applicant) …

    conditions View decision
  • Jeremy Lloyd Orchard
    SDT solicitor 10107/2008 2008-01-01 found breached

    Breaches, Failures, Solicitors' Accounts Rules

    Suspend - Indefinite 1 PDF View decision
  • Viresh Patel
    SDT solicitor 9950/2008 2008-01-01 found breached

    Breaches, Delays, Failures, Solicitors' Accounts Rules, Others

    Strike off 1 PDF View decision
  • Anal Sheikh
    SDT solicitor 9664/2008 2008-01-01 found breached

    Client Money, Failures, Solicitors' Accounts Rules, Others

    Strike off 1 PDF View decision

Duty classification does not yet cover every jurisdiction (Ontario, New Zealand and Singapore decisions are indexed but not yet duty-classified), so counts here understate those corpora.