Lawyers accepting funds via payment apps considered by ethics panel

D. Culver “Skip” Smith III

Lawyers should be able to use a variety of online payment apps, such as Venmo and PayPal, to accept payments, including trust funds, according to a proposed ethics advisory opinion being prepared for the Professional Ethics Committee.

Committee member Skip Smith, who chairs a subcommittee looking at payment apps, said the subcommittee hopes to have a finished opinion ready before the PEC’s June meeting. He reported at the committee’s January 15 meeting.