The arc of a lawyer’s law practice eventually ends. Ideally, the lawyer is ready and the transition from practice goes according to plan.
The policy behind Rule 1.14 is to safeguard funds that do not belong to the lawyer.
The State Bar’s Law Practice Management Department often receives questions about starting a small or solo law firm in Texas.
A custodian attorney assists in winding down a lawyer’s practice, if needed. The custodian attorney does not take over representation of clients or “assume” the lawyer’s law practice.
Cessation of practice procedure rests primarily on Part XIII of the Texas Rules of Disciplinary Procedure.
The general rule in Texas is that the file belongs to the client, but there is no encompassing rule for how long a lawyer must keep the file.
Succession planning anticipates the ultimate transfer of a legal practice from a predecessor to a successor lawyer.
