Facebook Investigating May Not be Permitted By Legal Ethics

An Ethics Opinion from California, indicates that if an enterprising lawyer uses Facebook as an investigative tool, they may get into trouble.   A San Diego County Bar Association ethics committee concludes that sending a Facebook “friend request” to a represented party violates California Rule of Professional Conduct 2-100 and could be cause for discipline. The opinion’s author says its the first to confront exparte communication through social media.  Bottom line is that a divorce lawyer can’t “friend” the other party in a case.