Compensation of Nonlawyer Employee Who Represents Social Security Claimants
Adopted: October 21, 2005
Opinion rules that the compensation of a nonlawyer law firm employee who represents Social Security disability claimants before the Social Security Administration may be based upon the income generated by such representation.
Inquiry #1:
Law Firm employs Legal Assistant, a nonlawyer, to assist Attorney with the representation of disability claimants before the Social Security Administration (SSA). Because nonlawyer representation of claimants before the SSA is allowed by the Social Security Act, see 42 U.S.C. §406, and Attorney believes that Legal Assistant is competent, Legal Assistant frequently represents the claimant in the hearing before the SSA Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) without the involvement of Attorney. Prospective clients are advised of this arrangement as required by 05 FEO 2 and Attorney represents any claimant who files an appeal to federal district court. Legal Assistant is currently paid a salary and bonuses.
Legal Assistant has informed Attorney that she is leaving the firm to become an independent claimant's representative on Social Security disability claims. After Legal Assistant establishes her separate business, may Attorney refer disability claimants to her, including claimants that he was representing when Legal Assistant was still employed by the firm?
Opinion #1:
Yes. If Attorney believes that Legal Assistant is competent to represent claimants before the SSA and that it is in the best interest of a client to be represented before the SSA by Legal Assistant, he may refer clients to her. See Rule 1.1.
Inquiry #2:
Attorney and Legal Assistant work on a client's disability claim before Legal Assistant leaves the firm to establish her own practice. After she leaves the firm, Attorney refers the client to Legal Assistant for representation before the SSA. Disability benefits are awarded to the client and the ALJ also awards a fee for the representation to Legal Assistant. From that fee, may Legal Assistant reimburse Law Firm for the work performed by Legal Assistant and/or Attorney while the matter was still with Law Firm?
Opinion #2:
Yes. There is nothing in the Rules of Professional Conduct that prohibits a lawyer or a law firm from accepting such compensation provided it is otherwise lawful. Cf. 03 FEO 10 (Social Security lawyer may agree to compensate a non-lawyer/claimant's representative for the prior representation of a claimant).
Inquiry #3:
Legal Assistant wants to remain an employee of Law Firm but she would like her salary to be based upon the fees that she generates from the representation of claimants before the SSA. May the compensation a law firm pays to a nonlawyer employee who represents claimants before the SSA take into consideration the income generated from the representations?
Opinion #3:
Yes.
Rule 5.4(a) specifically prohibits a lawyer or a law firm from sharing "legal fees" with a nonlawyer except in certain specific situations that are not relevant to this inquiry. As noted in comment [1] to the rule, "The provisions of this Rule express traditional limitations on sharing fees. These limitations are to protect the lawyer's professional independence of judgment." In reliance upon this prohibition, RPC 147 holds that a lawyer may pay a paralegal a bonus for productivity but the bonus may not be a percentage of the income the firm derives from legal matters upon which the paralegal has worked.
The present inquiry is distinguishable. Rule 5.4(a) regulates the distribution of fees that, because of the prohibition on the unauthorized practice of law, may only be earned by a lawyer. However, nonlawyers are legally permitted to represent disability claimants before the SSA and to be awarded fees for such representation. When generated by a nonlawyer as authorized by law, such a fee cannot be designated a "legal fee" subject to the limitations of Rule 5.4(a). See e.g., 03 FEO 10. Moreover, the nonlawyer's participation in the fee does not impair a lawyer's independent professional judgment when the nonlawyer may, by law, represent the claimant without the supervision or participation of the lawyer.
Inquiry #4:
May Legal Assistant and Law Firm enter into an agreement clarifying how fees from Legal Assistant's representation of Social Security disability claimants will be distributed between Legal Assistant and Law Firm in the event Legal Assistant leaves the firm?
Opinion #4:
Yes.