Mandatory Disclosure of Malpractice Insurance Closer to Rule-Reality in California

Posted by Alan Childress

Mike Frisch had an earlier post in March on the move in California toward requiring disclosure to clients as to whether there is malpractice coverage.  And HALT and the ABA tally states by their protecting clients this way, as I noted in 2006 here. 

Now Law.com, via The Recorder‘s Dan Levine, reports that the California bar’s board of governors “voted 16-4 on Friday to finally approve new rules on coveragedisclosure, an issue that’s been festering there for two years. Underthe compromise — which still must be approved by the state SupremeCourt — lawyers who expect to bill a client for more than four hoursmust pipe up if they aren’t covered for malpractice.”  The governors rejected earlier versions which reached further — such “proposals included noting a lawyer’s insurance status on his or her Bar Web page.”

The status of a similar proposal in Virginia [delayed] was noted by Mike here.