New Episode Summary
Melinda talks to Jeanne Huey, ethics attorney, about ethics in divorce law. Ethics in law are complicated, and ethics in divorce law are even more complicated. Divorce attorneys have many ethical duties to their clients, to the court, to third parties, and even to the other side of the case! It can be hard to know what the ethical thing to do is in every situation. Jeanne Huey is an attorney who specializes in defending attorneys accused of ethical violations. She spoke
with Melinda about common mistakes and misunderstandings people may have about ethics in divorce law.

About the Guest
Jeanne Huey is an ethics attorney with Hunt Huey PLLC. To find out more and to hire Jeanne, go to hunthuey.com.

Key Takeaways About Ethics in Divorce Law
● Attorneys have ethical duties to more than just their clients.
● The most common complaint about lawyers from clients is lack of communication.
● Your duties to your client do not extend to violating ethics rules at their direction.
● Fulfilling your ethical duties is in part about appropriately setting expectations at the beginning of a case.

Notable Quotes About Ethics in Divorce Law
“Lawyers forget that the court has a duty to report ethics violations that are egregious. And even if the court sanctions you, the disciplinary counsel (that’s the state bar’s lawyers who handle grievances) can still bring a charge.” – Jeanne Huey

“It is very hard for anyone to refute what happened in a meeting when you send that follow up email.” – Jeanne Huey

“The client sets the goals. They determine the goal of their case. . . But the means to accomplish the goal is what they are paying you to decide.” – Jeanne Huey

“Your job is not to do whatever the client tells you. Your job is to do what is in the client’s best interest.” – Jeanne Huey

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Melinda talks with Jeanne Huey, ethics attorney, about ethics in divorce law. Watch now or listen on your favorite podcast platform.