The ABA Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility issued Formal Opinion 05-434, which address conflicts which may arise when an attorney represents several members of the same family in estate planning matters. The Wills, Trusts & Estates Prof Blog posted a good summary of the Opinion here. As a practitioner, I agree with the ABA’s conclusion that the conflicts can be successfully managed. The Prof Blog argues that this type of representation is “simply not worth the risk.”
