News

Representation means listening, accommodating, and advocating for the client’s goals.

Bloomberg Law recently covered changes to ABA Model Rule 1.14, the model ethics rule that addresses how lawyers work with clients who may need support communicating or making decisions.

Michigan has now taken the first steps toward adopting those changes.

The core principles are straightforward:

Lawyers should communicate with clients in ways that work for the client.

Lawyers should consider supports and accommodations before concluding that a client cannot direct the representation.

Lawyers should not jump straight to restrictive options like guardianship.

Lawyers should advocate for the client’s stated wishes, not substitute someone else’s opinion about what is in the client’s “best interests.”

These changes matter because guardianship can take away a person’s right to make basic choices about their own life. The legal system should protect each person’s voice, rights, and decision-making whenever possible.

Read the article: https://news.bloomberglaw.com/litigation/aba-state-bars-urging-attorneys-to-pivot-from-guardianships?context=search&index=0