Settlement Funding: Laws, Ethics, & Opinions
While settlement funding might expedite the legal process, we certainly don’t cut corners at LightHouse Legal. We make sure we operate within the boundaries set forth by state and federal laws.
At LightHouse Legal Finance, we carefully obey applicable laws, ethics, and opinions regarding our products.
Below, you’ll find two lists of opinions. The first applies to plaintiff funding, and the second applies to attorney funding. When available, we’ve provided links to these lawsuit settlement funding opinions. We also cited relevant case law for your convenience, and added a sampling of industry participants, statements from commentators, and courts regarding litigation funding, which can be found by clicking the commentary link.
Ethics Opinions – Plaintiff Lawsuit Settlement Funding
| Alaska 92-3 |
Lawsuit Settlement Funding |
| Arizona 91-22 |
Lawsuit Settlement Funding |
| California (L.A. County Bar) 500 |
Lawsuit Settlement Funding |
| Colorado 96/97-17 |
Lawsuit Settlement Funding |
| District of Columbia 196 |
Contact the D.C. Bar at 202-737-4700 D.C. Bar Website |
| Florida 00-3 |
Lawsuit Settlement Funding |
| Hawaii 34 |
Lawsuit Settlement Funding |
| Illinois 92-9 |
Lawsuit Settlement Funding |
| Maryland 94-45 |
Contact the Maryland Bar at 800-492-1964 Maryland Bar Website |
| Massachusetts 83-7 |
Lawsuit Settlement Funding |
| Michigan RI-321 |
Lawsuit Settlement Funding |
| Missouri 20000006 |
Lawsuit Settlement Funding |
| Nebraska 00-2 |
Lawsuit Settlement Funding |
| New Jersey 691 |
Lawsuit Settlement Funding |
| New York 666, 769 |
Lawsuit Settlement Funding 1 Lawsuit Settlement Funding 2 |
| North Carolina 2000-4 |
Finance Company’s Interest in a Client’s Recovery |
| Ohio 94-8, 94-11, 2003-Ohio-2721 |
Lawsuit Settlement Funding 1 Lawsuit Settlement Funding 2 Rancman v. Interim Settlement Funding Corp. |
| Pennsylvania 93-145 |
Contact the Pennsylvania Bar at 717-238-6715 Pennsylvania Bar Website |
| Pennsylvania (Philadelphia Bar) 91-9 |
Lawsuit Settlement Funding |
| Rhode Island 92-2 |
Contact the Ethics Advisory Panel of the Rhode Island Supreme Court at 401-222-3270 - Website |
| South Carolina 94-04 |
Lawsuit Settlement Funding |
| Tennessee 99-A-666 |
Contact the Board of Professional Responsibility of the Supreme Court of Tennessee at 800-486-5714 - Website |
| Texas 465 |
Lawsuit Settlement Funding |
| Utah 97-11, 02-01 |
Lawsuit Settlement Funding |
| Virginia 1155, 1379, 1441 |
For 1155, contact the Virginia Continuing Legal Education at 800-979-8253 - Lawsuit Settlement Funding |
| Wisconsin E-92-3 |
Lawsuit Settlement Funding |
Ethics Opinions – Attorney Lawsuit Settlement Funding
| Arizona 01-07 |
Lawsuit Settlement Funding |
| California (L.A. County Bar) 499 |
Lawsuit Settlement Funding |
| Florida 00-3 |
Lawsuit Settlement Funding |
| Georgia 92-1 |
Lawsuit Settlement Funding |
| Illinois 94-6 |
Lawsuit Settlement Funding |
| Kentucky E-420 |
Contact the Kentucky Bar at 502-564-3795 Kentucky Bar Website |
| Louisiana 00-C-0414 |
Chittenden v. State Farm Mutual Automobile Ins. Co. |
| Maine 152, 177 |
Lawsuit Settlement Funding 1 Lawsuit Settlement Funding 2 |
| Maryland 94-24 |
Contact the Maryland Bar at 800-492-1964 Maryland Bar Website |
| Missouri 970066 |
Lawsuit Settlement Funding |
| New Jersey 603 |
Lawsuit Settlement Funding |
| New York 754 |
Lawsuit Settlement Funding |
| New York (NYC Bar) 1997-1 |
Lawsuit Settlement Funding (opinion relevant to lawsuit settlement funding is at bottom of webpage) |
| North Carolina 2006-12 |
Obtaining a Loan to Fund Litigation Costs |
| Ohio 2001-3 |
Lawsuit Settlement Funding |
| Tennessee 98-A-659 |
Contact the Board of Professional Responsibility of the Supreme Court of Tennessee at 800-486-5714 - Website |
| Texas 465 |
Lawsuit Settlement Funding |
| Utah 97-11, 02-01 |
Lawsuit Settlement Funding 1 Lawsuit Settlement Funding 2 |
| Virginia 1595 |
Lawsuit Settlement Funding |
Case Law
Here are some court decisions relevant to lawsuit settlement funding:
Saladini v. Righellis, 426 Mass. 231, 687 N.E.2d 1224 (1997)
Osprey, Inc. v. Cabana Ltd. Partnership, 340 S.C. 367, 532 S.E.2d 269 (2000)
Kraft v. Mason, 668 So. 2d 679 (Fla. App. 4th Dist. 1996)
Dopp v. Yari, 927 F. Supp. 814 (D.N.J. 1996)
Nyquist v. Nyquist, 841 P.2d 515 (Mont. 1992)
Aldrich v. Aldrich, 260 Ill. App. 333 (1st Dist. 1931)
Embola v. Tuppela, 127 Wash. 285, 220 P. 789 (1923)
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Hospital Authority v. First of Ga. Ins. Co., 340 N.C. 88, 455 S.E.2d 655 (1995)
Achrem v. Expressway Plaza Ltd. P’ship, 112 Nev. 737, 917 P.2d 447 (1996)