Model Rule 1.5(e)WA
Washington fee division
Washington tracks the Model Rule. Two lawyers may divide a fee if the split matches the work or each takes joint responsibility, you agree to the arrangement including each share, that agreement is confirmed in writing, and the total is reasonable.
Last checked Sep 4, 2026 · LawyerUnc editorial. Educational only, not legal advice.
- The rule
- Wash. RPC 1.5(e)
- What you sign
- The client agrees to the arrangement, including the share each lawyer will receive, and the agreement is confirmed in writing. The total fee is reasonable.
- How the split is allowed
- Proportion to services performed, or each lawyer assumes joint responsibility for the representation.
- Any cap on the referring share
- No Florida-style 25% cap. The total fee must be reasonable. Limited license legal technicians have their own, stricter, fee-division bar. That is not this page.
- 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
Wash. RPC 1.5(e) is the ABA structure. WSBA Advisory Op. 2189 walks through the writing. Confirm the current opinion.
An LLLT generally may not divide a fee with a lawyer outside the firm. Do not treat that bar as the lawyer-to-lawyer rule.