Rule 5.18 Satisfaction of Complainant

When someone files a complaint against a lawyer, the disciplinary process can move forward even if the person who filed it later drops the issue. It doesn't matter if the complainant and the lawyer work things out on their own, or if the complainant decides they no longer want to be involved, or even if they can't participate anymore for some reason.

This means the investigation isn't controlled by the person who made the complaint. Once a complaint is filed, the disciplinary system can keep looking into the lawyer's conduct and take action if needed. The goal is to protect the public and hold lawyers accountable, not just to settle a dispute between two people.

So if you file a complaint against a lawyer and later change your mind, patch things up with the lawyer, or stop responding, the case doesn't automatically end. The authorities can still investigate and take action based on what they find.