Opinion ID: 2085869
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Respondent's Retention of his Property in his Trust Account

Text: Professional Conduct Rule 1.15(a) requires lawyers to keep clients' property that is in the lawyers' possession in connection with a representation separate from their own. Subsection (c) provides that, should both the lawyer and another person claim interest in such property, the lawyer must separately maintain the property until there is an accounting and severance of interest. The Commission alleges that, after the client signed the settlement statement on December 1, 1994, and received settlement funds pursuant to that statement, the respondent left his own funds in his trust account for an unreasonable period of time. The stipulated facts reveal that, after the client received settlement proceeds on December 1, 1994, the respondent left $2,666.67 of his fee and $35 of reimbursed costs in the trust account for several months. We find no violation of Prof.Cond.R. 1.15. A lawyer should in the ordinary course of business transfer earned fees, other than minimum balance requirements or other nominal amounts, from the lawyer's trust account. There is nothing in the record to indicate that the respondent's property was retained in his trust account for any improper motive or used improperly or to the detriment of any client.