Rules of Professional Conduct for Florida Lawyers

RULES OF PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT
FOR FLORIDA LAWYERS

Chapter 4 of the Rules Regulating The Florida Bar

Excerpts from the Preamble: A Lawyer's Responsibilities

"No disciplinary action should be taken when the lawyer chooses not to act or acts within bounds of such discretion.... The rules simply provide a framework for the ethical practice of law..... Violation of a rule should not give rise to a cause of action nor should it create any presumption that a legal duty has been breached.... They are not designed to be a basis for civil liability.... Accordingly, nothing in the rules should be deemed to augment any substantive legal duty of lawyers or the extra-disciplinary consequences of violating such duty."

As one can see, these rules have very little significance in relation to the ethical conduct of members of The Florida Bar and Florida lawyers' implied duty to the public as officers of the Court. What the rules seem to give, the preamble nullifies with a few skillfully crafted sentences carefully embedded within it. Therefore, these rules are apparently nothing more than window dressing to disguise an ugly and vile commercial industry that reaps its rewards from the miseries and misfortunes of others. The Rules of Professional Conduct appear to be a cruel hoax upon the public which gives clients a false impression that the practice of law is honorable and ethical. The Supreme Court of Florida approved every word contained in these rules. So, who do you believe the Court is really trying to protect--the client or the Florida lawyer?

If you feel the need to file an official complaint with The Florida Bar against a Florida lawyer, click here to get the official form. This form is in Adobe Acrobat Format (PDF) so almost anybody can print it using their own computer and printer. It is certainly a lot easier than getting someone at The Florida Bar to mail one to you. Use the free Adobe Acrobat Reader software to print it or any other PDF document you encounter. Download Acrobat Reader here if you do not already have it on your computer.

Before filing your complaint you should peruse the Rules of Professional Conduct and pick out the particular rules that were violated. Cite the specific rules violated in your complaint and describe how they were violated. Keep your complaint reasonably short and stay on point. Attach additional pages and copies of documents, etc. that will help illustrate the rule violations. It does no good to rant and rave even though it may feel good at the moment. Good luck!