Is there anything improper about a solicitor having a sexual relationship with a client?
A. There is at present no rule prohibiting this. However, as with any situation where a solicitor acts for a person with whom there is some sort of personal as well as professional relationship there may be problems of objectivity and it may be more likely that the solicitor would be a material witness in the client’s case which, pursuant to Rule 19 of the Solicitors’ Rules would preclude the solicitor from acting. Q. Would I have a conflict of interest in acting for a client where the opponent was previously a client of a firm in which one of my partners or employees previously practised? Does it matter that the partner/employee had no involvement in the matter? A. It depends on the precise circumstances. Generally it is probable that the firm in this situation would have a conflict of interest and there may need to be an exploration of the extent to which the partner/employee was involved in the relevant matter while at the previous firm. If the opposing client accepts that that soli
