The duty in context
No improper use of client money money
The lawyer must withdraw client money only for its proper purpose, must not overdraw a client's funds, and must not use the client account as a banking facility.
How the codes express this duty
E&W Solicitors SRA Principles & Code SAR Rule 5.1; SAR Rule 3.3; SAR Rule 5.3 strong 1,062 cases
5.1 You only withdraw client money from a client account: (a) for the purpose for which it is being held; ... 3.3 You must not use a client account to provide banking facilities to clients or third parties. ... 5.3 You only withdraw client money from a client account if sufficient funds are held on behalf of that specific client or third party to make the payment.
Solicitors Accounts Rules · 2019 · archived copy · official source ↗
E&W Barristers BSB Handbook no clear equivalent
Cayman Islands Legal Services Code 2026 P.7; R.9.2 partial
Attorneys-at-law shall protect client money and assets... An attorney-at-law and a recognised law entity shall safeguard money and assets entrusted to them by clients and others.
Cayman Islands Legal Services Code of Professional Conduct · 2026 · archived copy
AU Solicitors Solicitors' Conduct Rules no clear equivalent
AU Barristers Uniform Barristers Rules no clear equivalent
IE Solicitors Law Society Guide Ch9 — Accounts regulations: General strong 90 cases
To use each client's money for that client's matter only, To use trust money only for the purpose of that trust... To establish and maintain proper accounting systems and proper internal control systems to ensure compliance with the regulations.
Solicitor's Guide to Professional Conduct (Law Society of Ireland) · 4th ed. (2022) · archived copy · official source ↗
IE Barristers Bar Code of Conduct no clear equivalent
JM Attorneys Canons of Professional Ethics Canon VII(a) partial 137 cases
An Attorney shall comply with rules as may from time to time be prescribed by the General Legal Council relating to the keeping in separate accounts- (i) the funds of himself or any firm with which he is associated; and (ii) those of his clients.
Legal Profession (Canons of Professional Ethics) Rules · 1978 (principal) · archived copy · official source ↗
JE Lawyers Law Society of Jersey Code P.7; R.7.4 a),c) partial
Members must protect client money and assets... Members must: a) identify, monitor and manage risks to money and assets entrusted to them by clients and others... c) ensure compliance with the Accounts Rules.
Law Society of Jersey Code of Conduct · 1 January 2017 · archived copy · official source ↗
ON Lawyers LSO Rules of Prof. Conduct r 3.6-10; r 3.2-7.3 strong
3.6-10 A lawyer shall not appropriate any funds of the client held in trust or otherwise under the lawyer's control for or on account of fees except as permitted by the by-laws under the Law Society Act. [3.2-7.3 A lawyer shall not use their trust account for purposes not related to the provision of legal services.]
Law Society of Ontario — Rules of Professional Conduct · current · archived copy · official source ↗
BC Lawyers BC Code r 3.6-10 strong 66 cases
A lawyer must not appropriate any client funds held in trust or otherwise under the lawyer's control for or on account of fees, except as permitted by the governing legislation.
Code of Professional Conduct for British Columbia (BC Code) · 2017 · archived copy · official source ↗
NZ Lawyers Conduct & Client Care Rules r 10.5.2 / r 9.3 partial
A lawyer who receives funds on terms requiring the lawyer to hold the funds in a trust account as a stakeholder must adhere strictly to those terms and disburse the funds only in accordance with them. ... A lawyer who wishes to debit fees held in trust or to receive funds to cover fees in advance must comply with the requirements of regulations 9 and 10 of the Lawyers and Conveyancers Act (Trust Account) Regulations 2008.
Lawyers and Conveyancers Act (Lawyers: Conduct and Client Care) Rules 2008 · SR 2008/214 · archived copy · official source ↗
SCO Solicitors LSS Standards of Conduct no clear equivalent
SG Lawyers Professional Conduct Rules 2015 r 16 (Client money) partial 23 cases
16 Client money
Legal Profession (Professional Conduct) Rules 2015 · 2015 · archived copy · official source ↗
HK Solicitors Solicitors' Guide Principle 13.02 / Principle 4.02 Commentary 4 partial
A client account cheque must never be dishonoured. A solicitor must take care to ensure that any cheque for use in connection with his practice will be honoured upon presentation. ... Dishonour of a client account cheque will other than in exceptional circumstances indicate a breach of the Solicitors' Accounts Rules (Cap. 159 sub. leg. F). ... Under rule 9(2) of the Solicitors' Accounts Rules (Cap. 159 sub. leg. F), money received for or on account of an agreed fee which is paid by a client to his solicitor must be paid into an office account.
Hong Kong Solicitors' Guide to Professional Conduct (Volume 1) · current · archived copy · official source ↗
HK Barristers Bar Code of Conduct no clear equivalent
Cases dealing with this duty
1,577 decisions · link basis: found breached = a tribunal finding; rule cited = the mapped provision is cited in the decision; text match = high-precision text pattern
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DGW Law Corporation
Rule 3-7.1 Consent Agreement
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Ano Maggielin Miller Sewell
Struck off, Restitution Ordered | Disciplinary Committee decision delivered June 27, 2025. || Guilty | Disciplinary Committee decision delivered May 31, 2025. View PDF SANCTION DECISION OF THE DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE OF …
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Fasar Mahmood
Code of Conduct for Solicitors, REL's & RFL's 2019, Dishonesty, Lack of Integrity, Misappropriation of Client Account, Solicitors Accounts Rules 2019, SRA Principles 2011
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Feisal Mohammed Raza Sheikh; Maxim Solicitors Limited
Breaches, Code of Conduct 2011, Code of Conduct for Firms 2019, Failures, Money Laundering Regulations, SRA Principles 2011, SRA Principles 2019
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Duren, Lillian
The solicitor contravened: (1) Section 148 of the Legal Profession Uniform Law (NSW) (Uniform Law): Caused, without reasonable excuse, deficiencies in accounts held by her law practice, being the trust account and statu…
Costs Reprimand Solicitor to undertake and complete further legal education The solicitor must not apply for a practising certificate that would authorise her to be a principal of a law practice until after she has held five practising certificates for five separate practising certificate years that authorise her to engage in supervised legal practice; further, that she has, during that five year period practised as a legal practitioner. The solicitor is not authorised to receive or otherwise deal with trust money while holding a practising certificate other than one authorising her to be a principal of a Law Practice. At the time of entering into any contract of employment as a legal practitioner the solicitor is to inform the employer, in writing, of the Tribunal proceedings and the Reasons for Decision. $0.00 1 PDF View decision -
Ano Maggielin Miller Sewell
Guilty | Disciplinary Committee decision delivered May 31, 2025. || Struck off, Restitution Ordered | Disciplinary Committee decision delivered June 27, 2025. View PDF DECISION OF THE DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE OF THE GENER…
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Mark Andrew Shepherd
Breaches, Code of Conduct for Solicitors, REL's & RFL's 2019, Solicitors Accounts Rules 2019, SRA Principles 2011, SRA Principles 2019
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Maisha Shamilla Wilson-Campbell
Guilty of Professional Misconduct | Disciplinary Committee decision delivered May 28, 2025. || Suspended | Disciplinary Committee decision delivered July 01, 2025. View PDF DECISION OF THE DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE OF THE …
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Yeend, Gillian Claire
On 23 January 2025, the Australian Capital Territory Civil and Administrative Tribunal (Tribunal) made an order, pursuant to section 425(3) of the Legal Profession Act 2006 (ACT) recommending that Ms Gillian Claire Yeen…
Removal of lawyer’s name from the Roll of Australian lawyers Pursuant to section 461(2) of the Legal Profession Uniform Law $0.00 Disciplinary Action View decision -
Shaune Kerry Irving
Charges 1, 2 & 3 of disciplinary application 110/24 and 181/24 there is a finding of professional misconduct.
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Leonard Hil Marriott
Rule 4-29 Admission of Misconduct and Undertaking to the Discipline Committee
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Paul Christopher Flaherty; William John Gregory Osmond
Breaches, Failures, Misappropriation of Client Account, Money Laundering Regulations, Solicitors Accounts Rules 2011, SRA Principles 2011
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Reid, Benjamin Paul
Notice issued to the Lawyer pursuant to s 77 of the Legal Profession Uniform Law (NSW) (Uniform Law) immediately suspending his practising certificate pending investigation into withdrawal of trust funds without apparen…
Suspension of the Solicitor’s practising certificate for the year ending 30 June 2025 (under s 77 of the Uniform Law) $0.00 Disciplinary Action View decision -
Respondent AM
Code of Conduct 2011, Code of Conduct for Firms 2019, Code of Conduct for Solicitors, REL's & RFL's 2019, Solicitors Accounts Rules 2011, SRA Authorisation Rules, SRA Principles 2019
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David Baynon Crosby
Breaches, Client Money, Code of Conduct for Solicitors, REL's & RFL's 2019, Dishonesty, Lack of Integrity, Misappropriation of Client Account, Solicitors Accounts Rules 2019, SRA Principles 2019
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Gregory George Dureault
Rule 3-7.1 Consent Agreement
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Jonathan Richard Maurice Gerber
Breaches, Failures, Solicitors Accounts Rules 2011, Solicitors Accounts Rules 2019, SRA Principles 2011, SRA Principles 2019
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Mark Ian Williams
Breaches, Client Money, Code of Conduct for Solicitors, REL's & RFL's 2019, Lack of Integrity, Practice Framework Rules, Solicitors Accounts Rules 2019, SRA Principles 2011, SRA Principles 2019
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Bridget Catherine Miller
Breaches, Code of Conduct 2011, Code of Conduct for Solicitors, REL's & RFL's 2019, SRA Principles 2011, SRA Principles 2019
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Peter Kenneth Felton Gerber
Code of Conduct for Solicitors, REL's & RFL's 2019, Lack of Integrity, Recklessness, SRA Principles 2011, SRA Principles 2019
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WGS Solicitors
Breaches, Code of Conduct for Firms 2019, Code of Conduct for Solicitors, REL's & RFL's 2019, SRA Principles 2011, SRA Principles 2019
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Amir Nazir Butt
Breaches, Client Money, Code of Conduct for Solicitors, REL's & RFL's 2019, Lack of Integrity, Misappropriation of Client Account, Solicitors Accounts Rules 2011, SRA Principles 2011, SRA Principles 2019
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.