A lawyer must maintain a state of competence on a continuing basis in all areas in which the lawyer practises. A lawyer must not act or continue to act in any matter in which it may be reasonably foreseen that the lawyer will be unable for any reason to provide competent services. A lawyer may assign to support personnel only those tasks that they are competent to perform and must ensure that they are properly trained and supervised. A lawyer must refrain from conduct that impairs the lawyer's capacity or motivation to provide competent services. The competence of lawyers is essential to the satisfactory operation of the legal system since it directly affects the ability of clients to enforce and benefit from legal rights.
Competence is a continuum rather than an absolute standard of perfection.
It is not expected that a lawyer will achieve a general condition of competence throughout all categories of legal services, but a lawyer should strive to attain the upper range of the continuum in those areas in which the lawyer practises. An important aspect of professionalism is attention to quality of service. A lawyer must be conscientious, diligent and efficient in providing services. All deadlines must be met unless the lawyer is able to offer a reasonable explanation and no prejudice to the client will result. Whether or not a specific deadline applies, a lawyer must be prompt in prosecuting a matter, responding to communications and reporting developments to the client.