I CLIENT-LAWYER RELATIONSHIP 1.17 Clients with Diminished Capacity

(a) When a client’s capacity to make adequately considered decisions in connection with a representation is diminished, whether because of minority, mental impairment, or for another reason, the lawyer shall, as far as reasonably possible, maintain a normal client-lawyer relationship with the client.

(b) When the lawyer reasonably believes that the client has diminished capacity, is at risk of substantial physical, financial, or other harm unless action is taken, and cannot adequately act in the client’s own interest, the lawyer may take reasonably necessary protective action. Such action may include, but is not limited to, consulting with individuals or entities that have the ability to take action to protect the client and, in appropriate cases, seeking the appointment of a guardian ad litem, attorney ad litem, amicus attorney, or conservator, or submitting an information letter to a court with jurisdiction to initiate guardianship proceedings for the client.

(c) When taking protective action pursuant to (b), the lawyer may disclose the client’s confidential information to the extent the lawyer reasonably believes is necessary to protect the client’s interests.

Comment:

1. The normal client-lawyer relationship is based on the assumption that the client, when properly advised and assisted, is capable of making decisions about important matters. However, maintaining the ordinary client-lawyer relationship may not be possible when the client suffers from a mental impairment, is a minor, or for some other reason has a diminished capacity to make adequately considered decisions regarding representation. In particular, a severely incapacitated person may have no power to make legally binding decisions. Nevertheless, a client with diminished capacity often can understand, deliberate on, and reach conclusions about matters affecting the client’s own well-being. For example, some people of advanced age are capable of handling routine financial matters but need special legal protection concerning major transactions. Also, some children are regarded as having opinions entitled to weight in legal proceedings concerning their custody.

2. In determining the extent of the client’s diminished capacity, the lawyer should consider and balance such factors as the client’s ability to articulate reasoning leading to a decision, variability of state of mind, and ability to appreciate consequences of a decision; the substantive fairness of a decision; and the consistency of a decision with the lawyer’s knowledge of the client’s long-term commitments and values.

3. The fact that a client suffers from diminished capacity does not diminish the lawyer’s obligation to treat the client with attention and respect. Even if the client has a guardian or other legal representative, the lawyer should, as far as possible, accord the client the normal status of a client, particularly in maintaining communication. If a guardian or other legal representative has been appointed for the client, however, the law may require the client’s lawyer to look to the representative for decisions on the client’s behalf. If the lawyer represents the guardian as distinct from the ward and is aware that the guardian is acting adversely to the ward’s interest, the lawyer may have an obligation to prevent or rectify the guardian’s misconduct.

4. The client may wish to have family members or other persons, including a previously designated trusted person, participate in discussions with the lawyer; however, paragraph (a) requires the lawyer to keep the client’s interests foremost and, except when taking protective action authorized by paragraph (b), to look to the client, not the family members or other persons, to make decisions on the client’s behalf. As part of the client in-take process, lawyers may wish to give new clients the opportunity to designate trusted persons who may be contacted by a lawyer if special needs arise. Any such procedure should provide sufficient information for the client to understand and confer with the lawyer about the designation of a trusted person. Standardizedforms may beavailable from bar associations and practicegroups. Information about trusted person designations should be appropriately safeguarded and periodically updated, as necessary. In matters involving a minor, whether the lawyer should look to the parents as natural guardians may depend on the type of proceeding or matter in which the lawyer is representing the minor.

Taking Protective Action

5. Paragraph (b) contains a non-exhaustive list of actions a lawyer may take in certain circumstances to protect an existing client who does not have a guardian or other legal representative. Such actions could include consulting with family members, using a reconsideration period to permit clarification or improvement of circumstances, using voluntary surrogate decision-making tools such as existing durable powers of attorney, or consulting with support groups, professional services, adult-protective agencies, or other individuals or entities that have the ability to protect the client. In taking any protective action, the lawyer should be guided by such factors as the client’s wishes and values to the extent known, the client’s best interests, and the goals of intruding into the client’s decision-making autonomy to the least extent feasible, maximizing client capacities, and respecting the client’s family and socialconnections. If it appears to be necessary to disclose confidential information to a third person to protect the client’s best interests, a lawyer should consider whether it would be prudent to ask for the client’s consent to the disclosure. Only in compelling cases should the lawyer disclose confidential client information if the client has expressly refused to consent. The authority of a lawyer to disclose confidential client information to protect the interests of the client is limited and extends no further than is reasonably necessary to facilitate protective action.

Duties Under Other Law

6. Nothing in this Rule modifies or reduces a lawyer’s obligations under other law.

7. A client with diminished capacity also may cause or threaten physical, financial, or other harm to third parties. In such situations, the client’s lawyer should consult applicable law to determine the appropriate response.

8. When a legal representative has not been appointed, the lawyer should consider whether an appointment is reasonably necessary to protect the client’s interests. Thus, for example, if a client with diminished capacity has substantial property that should be sold for the client’s benefit, effective completion of the transaction may require appointment of a legal representative. In addition, applicable law provides for the appointment of legal representatives in certain circumstances. For example, the Texas Family Code prescribes when a guardian ad litem, attorney ad litem, or amicus attorney should be appointed in a suit affecting the parent-child relationship, and the Texas Probate Code prescribes when a guardian should be appointed for an incapacitated person. In many circumstances, however, appointment of a legal representative may be more expensive or traumatic for the client than circumstances in fact require. Evaluation of such circumstances is a matter entrusted to the lawyer’s professional judgment. In considering alternatives, the lawyer should be aware of any law that requires the lawyer to advocate on the client’s behalf for the action that imposes the least restriction.

Disclosure of the Client’s Condition

9. Disclosure of the client’s diminished capacity could adversely affect the client’s interests. For example, raising the question of diminished capacity could, in some circumstances, lead to proceedings for involuntary commitment. As with any client-lawyer relationship, information relating to the representation of a client is confidential under Rule 1.05. However, when the lawyer is taking protective action, paragraph (b) of this Rule permits the lawyer to make necessary disclosures. Given the risks to the client of disclosure, paragraph (c) limits what the lawyer may disclose in consulting with other individuals or entities or in seeking the appointment of a legal representative. At the very least, the lawyer should determine whether it is likely that the person or entity consulted will act adversely to the client’s interests before discussing matters related to the client. A disclosure of confidential information may be inadvisable if the third person’s involvement in the matter is likely to turn confrontational.

Emergency Legal Assistance

10. In an emergency where the health, safety or a financial interest of a person with seriously diminished capacity is threatened with imminent and irreparable harm, a lawyer may take legal action on behalf of such a person even though the person is unable to establish a client-lawyer relationship or to make or express considered judgments about the matter, when the person or another acting in good faith on that person’s behalf has consulted with the lawyer. Even in such an emergency, however, the lawyer should not act unless the lawyer reasonably believes that the person has no other lawyer, agent or other representative available. The lawyer should take legal action on behalf of the person only to the extent reasonably necessary to maintain the status quo or otherwise avoid imminent and irreparable harm. A lawyer who undertakes to represent a person in such an exigent situation has the same duties under these Rules as the lawyer would with respect to a client.

11. A lawyer who acts on behalf of a person with seriously diminished capacity in an emergency should keep the confidences of the person as if dealing with a client, disclosing them only to the extent necessary to accomplish the intended protective action. The lawyer should disclose to any tribunal involved and to any other counsel involved the nature of his or her relationship with the person. The lawyer should take steps to regularize the relationship or implement other protective solutions as soon as possible. Normally, a lawyer would not seek compensation for such emergency actions taken.