Assume that you are a paralegal working for Attorney Wilson on a divorce case involving William and Elizabeth Beauregard. Attorney Wilson represents Elizabeth, who is convinced that William is attempting to conceal marital assets. William's attorney, Hiram Hechtl, telephones you to say that he is faxing a copy of his client's financial statement for Attorney Wilson's information. When you go to the fax machine, you discover that Attorney Hechtl accidentally faxed not only the promised statement but also a note from his client that reads "H - This is the revised statement and the version I want to give her. I took a few accounts out and upped my expenses! She'll never know the difference. WB"

Step 3

Get guidance.

Scan ethical canons for guidance on the action(s) you should take as the paralegal in this fact pattern. Use the Internet to search for the canons provided by the National Federation of Paralegal Associations or the canons provided by the National Association of Legal Assistants.

Step 4

Post a response to the following to the discussion board.

Respond to the questions below and, if appropriate, include personal experience as part of your answer.

• What ethical concerns arise in this situation?
• What do you think you should do?
• Would your response be the same if the wife had found the note at home and brought it into Attorney Wilson?
• Did you find any guidance in the ethical canons for paralegals provided by the NFPA or the NALA?
• Does your state's bar association or code of professional responsibility for attorneys address circumstances like this?