A conflict is, anything that might prevent us giving one client the sort of unrestrained advice we would want to give, and that client has the right to expect. On the other hand, clients often want us to act for both, because the actual risk of conflict is remote, and the savings, in time and legal fees can be real and immediate. If asked to act for more than one party in a conveyancing transaction, we look first to our own professional rules. In general we may not act, but there are some exemptions, and if the case falls within one of the exemptions may we act. If the rules allow us to act, then we assess, with you, whether and to what extent a conflict of interest might arise.
Conflicts can be difficult to anticipate.
However amicable a matter starts out, at some point, one client may wish to ask a question, but not necessarily want the other client, to hear either the question or the answer. In general, we will not act if such a conflict is foreseen. Where we do act for more than one client, we cannot act as an umpire or referee between them. Whoever our client is, our job is to fight for that client as strenuously as we may. That aim is not compatible with judging between two clients.