NJSBA President Robert B. Hille issued the following statement on today's Joint Opinion of the Supreme Court ACPE/CAA/UPL Committees on AVVO, LegalZoom and Rocket Lawyer that the association requested. June 21, 2017
"The New Jersey State Bar Association has in recent years frequently expressed concern about the growing number of organizations that have sought to open the door to fee sharing, which could interfere with a lawyer's independent professional judgement. The NJSBA sought this opinion since many of our colleagues have taken advantage of the services some companies offer, without a thorough vetting of how they comport with the ethics rules. The fundamental goal of our system is to make certain that every client is afforded a just, fair and impartial system where lawyers advocate their clients’ interests within the boundaries of ethics rules. The opinion provides clarity and practical guidance for New Jersey attorneys about whether and to what extent they can participate in such programs. The association will continue to monitor developments as these issues evolve and will provide guidance to its members."
Here is a link to the opinion.