1 Advising or Assisting the Violation of Law Rule 1.3 Diligence Rule 1.4 Communication with Clients Rule 1.4. Rule 1.1 Competence.(a) A lawyer shall not intentionally, recklessly, with gross negligence, or repeatedly fail to perform legal services with competence. The SDCBA's Legal Ethics Committee issues advisory opinions regarding the ethical propriety of hypothetical attorney conduct. An attorney-client relationship is essentially formed when the attorney agrees to represent the client and move forward with the client. Attorneys have an ethical obligation to promptly return a former client's papers and property upon a client's request when representation ends. Client-Lawyer Relationship. Attorney-client privilege is established when an individual asks a lawyer for legal advice in a confidential setting. Attorneys must be able to communicate with their clients effectively. Completing a contact us form or otherwise contacting us does not create an attorney-client relationship nor does it mean we take any action on your behalf.