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Ga. R. Prof. Conduct 4.1

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Rule 4.1 Truthfulness in Statements to Others

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Rule Text

In the course of representing a client a lawyer shall not knowingly: (a) make a false statement of material fact or law to a third person; or (b) fail to disclose a material fact to a third person when disclosure is necessary to avoid assisting a criminal or fraudulent act by a client, unless disclosure is prohibited by Rule 1.6. The maximum penalty for a violation of this Rule is disbarment.

Plain-English Summary (for reference only — not a substitute for the rule text above)

This summary is not the rule. The rule text controls.

When a lawyer is working on a client's case, they cannot lie about important facts or legal points to other people involved, like the other side's lawyer, witnesses, or anyone else outside the case. This means a lawyer cannot knowingly tell someone something false if it matters to the case.

The rule also says lawyers cannot stay silent when speaking up is the only way to stop a client from committing fraud or a crime. If a lawyer knows their silence would help a client do something illegal or dishonest, they usually have to speak up. The one exception is when another rule, Rule 1.6, requires the lawyer to keep client information confidential. In that situation, confidentiality rules can override the duty to disclose.

Breaking this rule is serious. A lawyer who violates it can face punishment as severe as losing their license to practice law.

Committee Notes

Misrepresentation [1] A lawyer is required to be truthful when dealing with others on a client's behalf, but generally has no affirmative duty to inform an opposing party of relevant facts. A misrepresentation can occur if the lawyer incorporates or affirms a statement of another person that the lawyer knows is false. Misrepresentations can also occur by failure to act.

Statements of Fact [2] This Rule refers to statements of fact. Whether a particular statement should be regarded as one of fact can depend on the circumstances. Under generally accepted conventions in negotiation, certain types of statements ordinarily are not taken as statements of material fact. Comments which fall under the general category of "puffing "do not violate this rule. Estimates of price or value placed on the subject of a transaction and a party's intentions as to an acceptable settlement of a claim are in this category, and so is the existence of an undisclosed principal except where nondisclosure of the principal would constitute fraud.

Fraud by Client [3] Paragraph (b) recognizes that substantive law may require a lawyer to disclose certain information to avoid being deemed to have assisted the client's crime or fraud. The requirement of disclosure created by this paragraph is, however, subject to the obligations created by Rule 1.6: Confidentiality of Information.

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