Missouri · statute · Mo. Rev. Stat. ch. 484 · 21 active provisions
1. The "practice of the law" is hereby defined to be and is the appearance as an advocate in a representative capacity or the drawing of papers, pleadings or documents or the performance of any act in such capacity in connection with proceedings pending or prospective before any court of record, commissioner, referee o…
1. No person shall engage in the practice of law or do law business, as defined in section 484.010, or both, unless he shall have been duly licensed therefor and while his license therefor is in full force and effect, nor shall any association, partnership, limited liability company or corporation, except a professiona…
No bank or lending institution that makes residential loans and imposes a fee of less than two hundred dollars for completing residential loan documentation for loans made by that institution shall be deemed to be engaging in the unauthorized practice of law.
The power to admit and license persons to practice as attorneys and counselors in the courts of record of this state, or in any of them, is hereby vested exclusively in the supreme court and shall be regulated by rules of that court.
The director of revenue is hereby authorized, pursuant to a cooperative agreement with the supreme court, to develop procedures which shall permit the clerk of the supreme court to furnish the director, at least once each year, with a list of persons currently licensed to practice law in this state. If any such person…
1. The Missouri supreme court may require that fingerprint submissions be made as part of an application of licensure for admission or reinstatement to the Missouri Bar in order to engage in the practice of law or law business, as such terms are defined in section 484.010. 2. If the Missouri supreme court requires that…
The compensation of an attorney or counselor for his services is governed by agreement, express or implied, which is not restrained by law. From the commencement of an action or the service of an answer containing a counterclaim, the attorney who appears for a party has a lien upon his client's cause of action or count…
In all suits in equity and in all actions or proposed actions at law, whether arising ex contractu or ex delicto, it shall be lawful for an attorney at law either before suit or action is brought, or after suit or action is brought, to contract with his client for legal services rendered or to be rendered him for a cer…
1. It shall be unlawful for any licensed attorney in the state of Missouri to divide any fees or compensation received by him in the practice of law or in doing law business with any person not a licensed attorney or any firm not wholly composed of licensed attorneys, or any association or corporation, and any person,…
If an attorney or counselor at law shall commence an action and fail to prosecute the same, or if any action so commenced shall be dismissed for want of his attention, or if he shall bring the wrong action and it be necessary to enter a nonsuit, or if it shall be made to appear to the court that the action was erroneou…
Where two or more licensed attorneys at law of this state are associated together as copartners in the practice as attorneys or counselors at law, and one of such attorneys shall be the prosecuting or assistant prosecuting attorney, or circuit or assistant circuit attorney, it shall be unlawful for such other partner o…
Any attorney or counselor at law may be removed or suspended from practice in the courts of this state for any of the following reasons: (1) If he be convicted of any criminal offense involving moral turpitude; (2) If he unlawfully retain his client's money or if he is guilty of any malpractice, fraud, deceit or misdem…
Charges against an offending attorney shall be in writing and verified, and may be preferred by any member of the bar in good standing, or by any judge of a court of record required by law to be a person learned in the law. The charges may be exhibited and proceedings had thereon in the supreme court, in any of the dis…
The court in which such charges shall be exhibited shall fix a day for the hearing, allowing a reasonable time, and the clerk shall issue a citation accordingly, with a copy of the charges annexed, which may be served upon the accused wherever found.
The copy of the charges and citation may be served upon the accused by any officer authorized by law to serve writs issued by such court and in any county of this state, and if the accused be not found in this state then reasonable notice shall be given him by publication in such manner as the court may direct, unless…
If the party served with such citation shall fail to appear according to the command thereof, obedience may be enforced by attachment or the court may proceed ex parte.
If the charge allege a conviction for any criminal offense involving moral turpitude, the court shall, on production of the record of such conviction, remove the attorney so convicted or suspend such attorney from practice for a limited time, according to the nature of the offense, as the court may deem just, and witho…
All trials of charges preferred against attorneys shall be by the court, and in all cases of conviction the court shall pronounce judgment of removal or suspension according to the nature of the facts found; except that, if the charge be filed in the supreme court, or in one of the districts of the court of appeals, th…
In all cases of a trial of charges in the circuit court, the defendant may except to any ruling or decision of the court, and may prosecute an appeal or writ of error to the supreme court, in all respects as in actions at law. And it is hereby made the duty of the supreme court to hear said appeal at the next term of s…
Every final judgment or order of removal or suspension, made in pursuance of the provisions of this chapter by any court so authorized, shall operate, while it continues in force, as a removal or suspension from practice in all the courts of this state; provided, that any attorney or counselor at law removed from pract…
Recognizing that Missouri children have a right to adequate and effective representation in child welfare cases, the September 17, 1996, Missouri supreme court standards for representation by guardians ad litem shall be updated and adopted statewide and each circuit shall devise a plan for implementation which takes in…