Possibilities for Multidisciplinary Collaboration in Clinical Practice: Practical Ethical Implications for Lawyers and Clients

The economic and commercial value of multidisciplinary partnerships between lawyers, accountants and financial advisors has galvanised changes to legal practice rules in the US and Australia, with some jurisdictions in Australia amending restrictive practice requirements to permit such structures. At the other end of the market, the value of multidisciplinary practices in providing effective services to the disadvantaged is seen as imperative by practitioners in that area, and many such practices have appeared in recent years. This has occurred primarily in the United States, notwithstanding the ethical and professional barriers to such arrangements. This article examines the development of such structures in practices for disadvantaged persons, the development of models designed to address ethical conflicts and the practical impact of the conflicting ethical duties of lawyers and other professionals in such circumstances. This article evaluates practical and theoretical debate in the area, concluding that the existing rules of ethical and professional conduct create a significant barrier to truly multidisciplinary practice models.