What are multidisciplinary practices?
Multidisciplinary practices are firms that provide a variety of professional services through an association or alliance of professionals. Lawyers may share fees or enter partnerships or alliances with nonlawyers to provide business consultation or legal services to clients. The goal is to provide a full array of services to clients who have a variety of complex issues requiring multidisciplinary resolution. Examples of nonlegal services that may be provided include accounting, financial planning, and other business services. Multidisciplinary practice has become one of the legal profession’s most contentious issues, with many state bars and the American Bar Association debating whether lawyers should be permitted to partner with nonlawyers for the provision of services. The current ethics rule prohibiting attorneys from sharing fees with nonlawyers is a significant restriction against multidisciplinary practices. Additionally, partners in a multidisciplinary practice must be aware of
