Opinion ID: 1699019
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: edwins policy

Text: In Edwins, a disciplinary proceeding against an attorney, we addressed, interalia, the propriety of an attorney advancing funds to his client in violation of Disciplinary Rule 5-103(B). [8] With Justice Tate writing for the majority in Edwins, we concluded that while a part of the advanced expenses were seemingly prohibited by the disciplinary rules, we were unwilling to hold that the spirit or the intent of the disciplinary rule is violated by the advance or guarantee by a lawyer to a client (who has already retained him) of minimal living expenses, of minor sums necessary to prevent foreclosures, or of necessary medical treatment. Edwins, 329 So.2d at 445. Thus, this Court set the policy that attorneys were permitted to advance funds to their clients for minimal, necessary living expenses and that clients would be responsible for reimbursing these funds. The theory behind the policy was that this Court did not want to force impoverished individuals into early settlements because they were unable to wait out the delays of litigation that are necessary to enforce a cause of action. Id. at 446. [9] Clearly, Edwins set the policy in the State for attorney/client relationships where money was advanced by the attorney prior to the resolution of the litigation, which generally has been followed by the legal practitioners. The opinion set the limits on this privilege, including the following guidelines: (1) the advances cannot be promised as an inducement to obtain professional employment, nor made until after the relationship has commenced; (2) the advances were reasonably necessary under the facts; (3) the client remained liable for repayment of all funds, whatever the outcome of the litigation; and (4) the attorney did not encourage public knowledge of this practice as an inducement to secure the representation of others. Id. Nevertheless, the issue of charging interest on advanced sums was not covered in Edwins.