.0126 Appointment of Counsel to Protect Clients' Interests When Attorney Disappears, Dies, or Is Transferred to Disability Inactive Status

(a) Appointment by Senior Resident Judge - Whenever a member of the North Carolina State Bar has been transferred to disability inactive status, disappears, or dies and no partner or other member of the North Carolina State Bar capable of protecting the interests of the attorney's clients is known to exist, the senior resident judge of the superior court in the district of the member's most recent address on file with the North Carolina State Bar, if it is in this state, will be requested by the secretary to appoint an attorney or attorneys to inventory the files of the member and to take action to protect the interests of the member and his or her clients.

(b) Disclosure of Client Information - Any member so appointed will not be permitted to disclose any information contained in any files inventoried without the consent of the client to whom such files relate except as necessary to carry out the order of the court which appointed the attorney to make such inventory.

History Note: Statutory Authority G.S. 84-23; G.S. 84-28(j)

Readopted Effective December 8, 1994

Amendments Approved by the Supreme Court: September 22, 2016