The duty in context
Keep client informed and respond promptly client
The lawyer must keep the client informed of progress, respond to correspondence and calls within a reasonable time, and treat the client fairly throughout.
How the codes express this duty
E&W Solicitors SRA Principles & Code CCS 3.2; CCS 8.6 partial 172 cases
3.2 You ensure that the service you provide to clients is competent and delivered in a timely manner. 8.6 You give clients information in a way they can understand.
SRA Code of Conduct for Solicitors, RELs and RFLs · 2019 · archived copy · official source ↗
E&W Barristers BSB Handbook gC38; gC41 partial 3 cases
gC38 ... a competent standard of work and of service also includes: .1 treating each client with courtesy and consideration; and .2 seeking to advise your client, in terms they can understand; gC41 You should do what you reasonably can to ensure that the client understands the process and what to expect from it and from you.
BSB Handbook · current · archived copy · official source ↗
Cayman Islands Legal Services Code 2026 R.4.4 strong
An attorney-at-law shall attend to all client affairs with diligence and answer all correspondence within the timescales agreed with the client or, if no such timescales have been agreed, within a reasonable time. An attorney-at-law shall treat clients fairly and correctly at all times.
Cayman Islands Legal Services Code of Professional Conduct · 2026 · archived copy
AU Solicitors Solicitors' Conduct Rules Rules 7.1; 4.1.3 partial 41 cases
7.1 A solicitor must provide clear and timely advice to assist a client to understand relevant legal issues and to make informed choices... 4.1.3 deliver legal services competently, diligently and as promptly as reasonably possible.
Australian Solicitors' Conduct Rules · 2015 (June 2026 compilation) · archived copy · official source ↗
AU Barristers Uniform Barristers Rules r105 partial 12 cases
A barrister must promptly inform the instructing solicitor or the client as soon as the barrister has reasonable grounds to believe that there is a real possibility that the barrister will be unable to appear or to do the work required by the brief in the time stipulated by the brief or within a reasonable time if no time has been stipulated.
Legal Profession Uniform Conduct (Barristers) Rules · 2015 (as amended 14 May 2025) · archived copy · official source ↗
IE Solicitors Law Society Guide Ch2 — Proper standard of legal services: General; Failure to reply to letters strong 16 cases
A solicitor should keep the client informed of the progress of the matter... A solicitor should reply to correspondence and should return phone calls in a timely manner, both to clients and colleagues.
Solicitor's Guide to Professional Conduct (Law Society of Ireland) · 4th ed. (2022) · archived copy · official source ↗
IE Barristers Bar Code of Conduct Rule 3.19; Rule 2.13 partial 16 cases
Barristers must inform their instructing solicitor promptly if it becomes apparent that they are unlikely to be able to attend to their instructions or if there is likely to be a substantial delay in attending to them.
Code of Conduct for the Bar of Ireland · 2024 · archived copy · official source ↗
JM Attorneys Canons of Professional Ethics Canon IV(r) strong 122 cases
An Attorney shall deal with his client's business with all due expedition and shall whenever reasonably so required by the client provide him with all information as to the progress of the client's business with due expedition.
Legal Profession (Canons of Professional Ethics) Rules · 1978 (principal) · archived copy · official source ↗
JE Lawyers Law Society of Jersey Code R.1.5 strong
Members shall attend to all client affairs with diligence and answer all correspondence within the timescales agreed with the client or, if no such timescales have been agreed, within a reasonable time. Members must treat their clients fairly and correctly at all times.
Law Society of Jersey Code of Conduct · 1 January 2017 · archived copy · official source ↗
ON Lawyers LSO Rules of Prof. Conduct r 3.2-1; r 3.2-1 commentary [6] strong
3.2-1 A lawyer has a duty to provide courteous, thorough and prompt service to clients. The quality of service required of a lawyer is service that is competent, timely, conscientious, diligent, efficient and civil. [cmt 6: a lawyer should be prompt in handling a matter, responding to communications and reporting developments to the client.]
Law Society of Ontario — Rules of Professional Conduct · current · archived copy · official source ↗
BC Lawyers BC Code r 3.2-1 strong 1 case
A lawyer has a duty to provide courteous, thorough and prompt service to clients. The quality of service required of a lawyer is service that is competent, timely, conscientious, diligent, efficient and civil.
Code of Professional Conduct for British Columbia (BC Code) · 2017 · archived copy · official source ↗
NZ Lawyers Conduct & Client Care Rules r 7.1 / r 7.2 strong
A lawyer must take reasonable steps to ensure that a client understands the nature of the retainer and must keep the client informed about progress on the retainer. ... A lawyer must promptly answer requests for information or other inquiries from the client.
Lawyers and Conveyancers Act (Lawyers: Conduct and Client Care) Rules 2008 · SR 2008/214 · archived copy · official source ↗
SCO Solicitors LSS Standards of Conduct B1.9 strong 13 cases
You must communicate effectively with your clients and others
Law Society of Scotland — Practice Rules 2011, Rule B1 (Standards of Conduct) · 2011 · archived copy · official source ↗
SG Lawyers Professional Conduct Rules 2015 r 5 (Honesty, competence and diligence) partial 8 cases
5 Honesty, competence and diligence
Legal Profession (Professional Conduct) Rules 2015 · 2015 · archived copy · official source ↗
HK Solicitors Solicitors' Guide Principle 5.17 / Principle 5.12 Commentary 5 strong
A solicitor is under a duty to keep his client properly informed and to comply with reasonable requests from the client for information concerning his affairs. ... Requests for information should be answered promptly.
Hong Kong Solicitors' Guide to Professional Conduct (Volume 1) · current · archived copy · official source ↗
HK Barristers Bar Code of Conduct para 10.5 partial
A practising barrister must in all his professional activities act promptly, conscientiously and diligently and with reasonable competence and must take all reasonable and practicable steps to ensure that professional engagements are fulfilled punctually.
Code of Conduct of the Bar of the Hong Kong SAR · 2018 · archived copy · official source ↗
Cases dealing with this duty
376 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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Derek John Leonard
Breaches, Client Money, Failures, Solicitors' Accounts Rules, Others
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Malcolm S Graham & Wendy K Ostell
Breaches, Failures, Solicitors' Accounts Rules, Others
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Timothy Ian Millar
Breaches, Failures, Solicitors' Accounts Rules, Others
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Russell Galt WALTERS
Guilty of professional misconduct on 7 charges.
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Stephen Joseph HOOLIHAN
Guilty of professional misconduct on 21 charges Guilty of unsatisfactory professional conduct on 3 charges
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Shaun A. Reynolds
Struck off, Restitution Ordered | Disciplinary Committee decision delivered March 31, 2007. View PDF DECISION OF THE DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE OF THE GENERAL LEGAL COUNCILCOMPLAINT No.28 of 2001 BETWEEN ALFRED WILLIAMS COM…
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J. Vernon (Jonathan) Ricketts
Fined | Disciplinary Committee decision delivered March 03, 2007. View PDF DECISION OF THE DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE OF THE GENERAL LEGAL COUNCILCOMPLAINT No. 165/2003 BETWEEN EDNA WILLIAMS COMPLAINANT AND J. VERNON RICKET…
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Christopher John Thorley
Breaches, Failures, Solicitors' Accounts Rules
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Brian Hargreaves-Hadcroft
Breaches, Client Money, Delays, Failures, Solicitors' Accounts Rules, Others
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Mark I Bronzite & Another
Breaches, Client Money, Failures, Solicitors' Accounts Rules, Others
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J R Beresford & D H Smith
Breaches, Failures, Others
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George Stephen Mills
Breaches, Failures
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Jaipaul Singh Thakur
Others
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G Okri & Another
Breaches, Failures, Others
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B J F Dunleavy & A M Ahmed
Client Money, Failures, Solicitors' Accounts Rules, Others
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9856-2007 - T A Izzet & Another
Breaches, Failures, Solicitors' Accounts Rules
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M A Olaseinde & A M Hemming
Breaches, Client Money, Failures, Solicitors' Accounts Rules, Others
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Simon Paul Hett
Breaches, Client Money, Failures, Solicitors' Accounts Rules, Others
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David Santiago Morales
Fined | Disciplinary Committee decision delivered September 16, 2006. View PDF RULING of THE DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE OF THE GENERAL LEGAL COUNCILCOMPLAINT No. 92/2005 BETWEEN HEADLEY WELLINGTON COMPLAINANT AND DAVID MORA…
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Dwyer, Bronwyn Ann
1. Failed to inform the client that the court had dismissed the proceedings because of inactivity 2. Misled the Law Society of NSW — Unsatisfactory Professional Conduct
Costs Reprimand $0.00 Proceedings Instituted View decision -
J. Vernon (Jonathan) Ricketts
Struck off, Restitution Ordered | Disciplinary Committee decision delivered July 22, 2006. View PDF DECISION OF THE DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE OF THE GENERAL LEGAL COUNCILCOMPLAINT NO. 128/2005 In the Matter of FREDERICK MO…
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Lorraine Earle
Fined, Already Struck off | Disciplinary Committee decision delivered May 13, 2006. View PDF DECISION OF THE DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE OF THEGENERAL LEGAL COUNCILCOMPLAINT NO. 87/2003 In the Matter of LUNETH ORAM, RASFORD …
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BENJAMIN SHAWN MORTON
Unprofessional Conduct and Unsatisfactory Conduct by way of Unprofessional Conduct
Unprofessional Conduct and Unsatisfactory Conduct by way of Unprofessional Conduct 1 PDF View decision -
Michael A. Williams
Suspended, Restitution Ordered | Disciplinary Committee decision delivered April 07, 2006. View PDF DECISION OF THE DISCIPLINARY COMMITTEE OF THE GENERAL LEGAL COUNCILCOMPLAINT N0.167/04 BETWEEN DAISYNELL VERNON THE COM…
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.