Florida Bar Raises Interesting Question About Remote Workers

By: Carol Ann Mazza Date Posted: November 13, 20194:35 pm

Recently, the Florida Bar published an article questioning the legality of lawyers who practice law from a location in which they are not licensed.

Is an out-of-state licensed lawyer and non-Bar member who moves to Florida engaged in the unlicensed practice of law when he works remotely for his out-of-state clients from his Florida home and his practice in another state does not represent any Florida residents or address Florida law?

The Bar’s Unlicensed Practice of Law Standing Committee has agreed to consider this issue after it received a request for a formal advisory opinion.

Meeting October 18 at the Bar’s Fall Meeting, the committee discussed a request from a New Jersey-licensed attorney who recently moved to Florida and would like to continue to work for his out-of-state clients. The committee will hold a public hearing on the request in February during the Bar’s Winter Meeting. Notice of the public hearing will be published in The Florida Bar News, on the Bar’s website, and in a newspaper of general circulation in the county in which the hearing will be held.

Florida Bar

A public hearing on this issue will be held in February. What are your thoughts on this issue? As someone who loves to travel, and the ability to work from wherever in our connected world, it is a unique and interesting issue that should be addressed.