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 1,008 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 118 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 71 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 19 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
1,489 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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Jermaine Ryan Simms
Restitution Ordered | Disciplinary Committee decision delivered October 12, 2017. View PDF View Decision SANCTION DECISION OF THE DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE OF THE GENERAL LEGAL COUNCIL COMPLAINT NO: 48/2009 IN THE MATTER O…
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Christopher Roy Penty
Agreed Statement of Facts | Summary
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Jermaine Ryan Simms
Guilty of Professional Misconduct | Disciplinary Committee decision delivered September 21, 2017. View PDF View Sanction DECISION OF THE DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE OF THE GENERAL LEGAL COUNCIL COMPLAINT NO: 48/2009 IN THE M…
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Berger, Victor
1. Failure to make costs disclosure to clients 2. Breach undertakings to Legal Services Commissioner 3. Purporting to act under power of attorney after donor of power died 4. Purporting to act as exectuor when no grant …
Costs Removal of lawyer's name from the Roll of Local Lawyers $0.00 Appeal Status: Dismissed Appeal Decision 3 PDFs View decision -
Barry Murphy
In the matter of Barry Murphy, a solicitor formerly practising as Eugene Carey & Company, Solicitors, Courthouse Chambers, Mallow, Co Cork, and in the matter of the Solicitors Acts 1954-2011 [12724/DT90/16 and High Cour…
strike_off View decision -
Michael O’Neill
In the matter of Michael O’Neill, a solicitor previously practising as Michael O’Neill at Kingscourt, 33 South Main Street, Naas, Co Kildare, and in the matter of the Solicitors Acts 1954-2011 [2842/DT71/15; 2842/DT79/1…
strike_off View decision -
Daniel (Donal) Downes
In the matter of Daniel (Donal) Downes, a solicitor formerly practising as O’Dea & Company, Solicitors, 1st floor, Hardiman House, Eyre Square, Galway, and in the matter of the Solicitors Acts 1954-2011 [4298/DT46/14; 4…
strike_off View decision -
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Graceann Marie Cameron
Guilty of Professional Misconduct | Disciplinary Committee decision delivered May 27, 2017. || Struck off, Restitution ordered | Disciplinary Committee decision delivered July 22, 2017. View PDF DECISION OF THE DISCIPLI…
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Andrew G Morrow
In the matter of Andrew G Morrow, solicitor, formerly practising as David Wilson & Co, Solicitors, Raphoe, Lifford, Co Donegal, and in the matter of an application by the Law Society of Ireland to the Solicitors Discipl…
conditions View decision -
Richard D. Bonner
Guilty of Professional Misconduct | Disciplinary Committee decision delivered April 28, 2017. || Struck off | Disciplinary Committee decision delivered June 05, 2017. View PDF DECISION OF THE DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE OF T…
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Russell William Tracy BIDDLE
Professional misconduct (theft of a total of $1,821,230.59 from two of his clients' estates)
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Beazley, Philip James
Professional Misconduct: 1. Breach section 67 LPA 2004 - not notifying a show cause event 2. Failure to honour undertaking 3. Breach of section 254 LPA 2004 - failure to deposit trust money in a trust account 4. Breach …
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David Herlihy
In the matter of David Herlihy, solicitor, formerly practising as principal of David Herlihy, Solicitors, Lord Edward Street, Kilmallock, Co Limerick, and in the matter of the Solicitors Acts 1954-2011 [9286/DT90/15 and…
strike_off View decision -
Harold C. Brady
Finding of Professional Misconduct | Disciplinary Committee decision delivered February 25, 2017. | Struck off, Restitution ordered - March 4, 2017 View PDF DECISION OF THE DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE OF THE GENERAL LEGAL CO…
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Gregory M.D. Lopez
Guilty of Professional Misconduct | Disciplinary Committee decision delivered February 04, 2017 || Struck off | Disciplinary Committee decision delivered March 25, 2017 View PDF DECISION OF THE DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE OF…
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Michael Hanrahan
In the matter of Michael Hanrahan, solicitor, formerly practising as Michael Hanrahan at 43 Lower Main Street, Dungarvan, Co Waterford, and in the matter of the Solicitors Acts 1954-2011 [2930/DT153/13 and High Court re…
strike_off View decision -
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Andrew John Peters
Criminal Convictions
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John Martin Gao
Breaches
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John Richard Killington
Breaches
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.