The ethico-legal aspects emanating from the relationship between lawyer and client

Abstract

The legal profession, as any other profession, involves a particular type of relationship with clients. This relationship arises as a result of the complexity of the subject matter which deprives the client of the ability to make knowledgeable judgments for himself. This situation renders the client to a large extent entirely dependent upon the professional person involved. Professional ethics, therefore, serve to ensure the correct imbalance between the professional service ideal and the self interests in the relationship between the professional and his client. Professional ethics also provide the lawyer with tangible guidelines in the instances of conflict of interest that will inevitably arise in the process of his work. This study will discuss the weight such ethical implications bear on the relationship between lawyer and client. The following chapters elaborate on a common theme, that is how professional legal ethics direct the lawyer towards the right perceptions in his attitudes and actions in dealing with his client. The possible cause of discord arising through the dual role of the lawyer, that is as client confidant and as a person with his own interest at heart, has always existed, and will continue to exist.