Can a lawyer represent a family member in a divorce?
Can a lawyer represent a family member in a divorce? Assistant at Ascent Law LLC Assistant at Ascent Law LLC While it is perfectly permissible for an attorney to represent a family member in divorce proceedings, it is often unwise to do so. While the lawyer will not be biased and will seek to represent the client's best interests, they should be aware that family members often have an aversion to speaking the truth. In addition to these risks, attorneys should be honest about the likelihood of success and the possible consequences if their case does not succeed. If there is a conflict of interest, a lawyer cannot represent one of the spouses in a divorce without the other spouse's consent. If this is the case, the lawyer should carefully examine their prior representation. If the previous representation involved the current spouse, then the former client's confidentiality rights may conflict with the current client's. Furthermore, obtaining the prior client's consen...