Consent to the other lawyer and to the termsME
Maine fee division
Maine does not require the split to match the hours, and it does not require joint responsibility. A lawyer may not divide a fee with a lawyer outside the firm unless, after full disclosure, you consent to that other lawyer being hired and to the terms of the split, in writing, and the total does not exceed reasonable pay for all the work done for you.
Last checked Sep 4, 2026 · LawyerUnc editorial. Educational only, not legal advice.
- The rule
- Me. R. Prof. Cond. 1.5(e)
- What you sign
- After full disclosure, the client consents to the employment of the other lawyer and to the terms for the division of the fees, confirmed in writing. The total fee of the lawyers does not exceed reasonable compensation for all legal services they rendered to the client.
- How the split is allowed
- No proportional-work or joint-responsibility clause in 1.5(e). The gates are full disclosure, consent to the other lawyer and to the terms, writing, and a reasonable total.
- Any cap on the referring share
- No Florida-style 25% cap. Reasonable compensation for all services rendered is the ceiling.
- Who is not in the fee
- A nonlawyer does not take a percentage of the recovery. Hosting, ads, and software get a flat or metered bill. That is ABA Model Rule 5.4 in substance, and every state on this desk follows it.
For the lawyer on the other end
Maine 1.5(e) is not the Model Rule. Do not paste joint-responsibility language as if the Board of Overseers put it in the text.
Consent is to the employment of the other lawyer and to the terms of the split. That is two consents, in writing, after full disclosure.