The California state bar has weighed in on deposits in attorney trust accounts. Agreeing with my prior post, the state bar, in a question and answer format, provides it’s opinion:
“Is it a violation of Civil Code Section 2944.7(a)(1) to collect an advance fee, place that fee into a client trust account, and not draw against that fee until the services have been fully performed?
Yes. The statutory language of the prohibition uses the word “receive” and the plain meaning of that term is broad enough to encompass a lawyer’s receipt of advance fees into a trust account. “
There used to be many good intentioned attorneys providing a useful service in assisting clients deal with modifications. I doubt that there are many left.