Bitcoin Forum

Nebraska Ethics Board Gives Lawyers OK to Accept Bitcoin

https://www.coindesk.com/courting-bitcoin-nebraska-ethics-board-gives-lawyers-ok-accept/ (https://www.coindesk.com/courting-bitcoin-nebraska-ethics-board-gives-lawyers-ok-accept/)

Anyone has experience with lawyers from other jurisdictions accepting BTC?

I'm an attorney in Nevada and there is not prohibition here regarding accepting BTC for services. There are of course ethical rules regarding any considerations received for services. I gladly accept BTC. 

Thanks for the reply. Do you provide multisignature escrow services?

I am an attorney and accept all forms of cryptocurrency. Often take token as partial consideration for ICO work even. No prohibition in Illinois, California and NY

in my place there is no prohibition to use bitcoin even though my place is not legal yet, and I think someday there will be rules and legalize bitcoin in my place, like japan america union and other country which legalize bitcoin.

It is a positive situation spreading to lawyers, it has to spread to every profession group, the most important thing is to spread in taxis and cafes. we do our work on the internet but it is very difficult in everyday life.

I'm a lawyer from Venezuela, and of course I accept bitcoin and some altcoins as payment method. As the general tradition says: "That which is not forbidden, is permitted"

So far I have only used bitcoin to purchase items on the internet but I know of other services that accept bit coin as payment. So knowing that some layers already accept is very good reason to spread to many other services.

This is interesting news. If Nebraska Ethics Board Gives Lawyers Accept Bitcoin as a payment in providing Juristic services, this can be a means of introducing bitcoin to people. Because lawyers is one of the most desirable professions in society so when bitcoin has been introduced through in this way, I'm sure it will have a good impact on the development of bitcoin today.

Please tell me how long have you accept payment in bitcoins and how much for all the time you had customers willing to pay in bitcoins? At least BTC is not illegal but I am sure that you have very few willing to pay bitcoins. Everyone is trying to keep their bitcoins, and so I try to pay in Fiat.

Another angle to consider; It is common with my IPO/public company clients to accept shares of stock in lieu of cash (fairly common in the industry). There is plenty of support for accepting stock, but there are some conflict of interest matters that can arise and as an attorney you have to consider

Now, with my ICO clients, I do accept the token being sold in lieu of cash. I assume the same conflict rules apply, but the question (for me at least) comes back to whether the token sale is a securities offering or not.

The key point to the article here is this blurb...

"Citing a requirement that no client may be charged too high a fee, the committee said that, while a lawyer may accept a cryptocurrency, it must immediately be converted to U.S. dollars."

I understand their reasons for doing this. But since the cryptocurrency must be converted to USD immediately, they're not really paying you with bitcoin... they're paying you using bitcoin. The end result is that you'll have USD in hand. Which, in effect, is pretty much the same thing as someone giving you a money order, and then cashing it. They may hand you a money order, but you need to convert it either to cash, or digits in your bank account in order for it to be useful to you.

So the way I see it is that they basically said "One bitcoin is the same thing as a $4,236.92 money order". Cheque, money order, cash voucher, or bitcoin... the result is all the same. It must undergo a conversion process to become USD in order to be complete.

I'm not saying this isn't a good breakthrough for crypto. I'm just saying that it only marginally validates the use of such currencies in the context of legal services.

we in this

Anyone can accept bitcoin. I just depends on how you cash out. I've seen coffee shops, convenience stores, and service-based businesses all accept bitcoin and even ETH.

Of course, if the country does not explicitly set a ban on operations with crypto currency, then it is perfectly permissible to take lawyers for its services in bitcoins. Moreover, lawyers for paying taxes show the total amount of profit and it does not matter in what currency it came.

yeah off course, not only lawyers all   field of the people may accepting this. bit coins has more demand present days so who can leaving this kind of good opportunity. especially lawyers they know all kind of rules and regulations.so they can accepting bit coins. who can doing their business legally they can accepting truly. but who can doing illegal business that kind of people hide their savings. so in my point of view good layers may accept this bit coins.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Bitcoin/comments/73wlsg/the_moment_my_divorce_lawyer_saw_that_i_had/

That was one of the biggest r/Bitcoin threads recently.

I don't really get why an ethics board needs to give approval. There are no ethics involved. It's worth something so they can accept it and keep it or sell it.

It seems to me that the acceptance of bitcoins for payment lawyers it does not concern ethics. It's not even about payment. How many people now can afford to pay for legal services with bitcoin? Perhaps it is a PR campaign. Lawyers thus get free publicity and attract public attention to the problems of the cryptocurrency.

I have read a lot about lawyers or legal counsels who accept Bitcoins as a form of payment for their legal services or as a token of appreciation for the services rendered. I see nothing wrong with it as long as there is nothing in their respective laws that prevents such kind of payment. I think these transactions are in a sense a contract between two or more parties whereby both parties agree as to the kind of payment scheme. This being the case, the law cannot just step in and disturb the agreement between parties absent anything in the contract that would make it nugatory, ineffective, unenforceable, or illegal.   

Virginia allows attorneys to accept Bitcoin in exchange for services. There just isn't as much of a market here for people looking to spend BTC instead of USD. Legal bills also will often end up much higher than people want to spend their bitcoins for, even at today's prices. For example, a simple drunk in public could run you $2k in Northern Virginia, and someone who is anticipating BTC to rise well above its current value might not want to part with .5 BTC right now.

Number of lawyers that accept bitcoin  less than 1% Because till now bitcoin not talk real market value of it but in next years you may found easy lawyer accept bitcoin all over world  

Big Four accounting firm EY (Ernst & Young) has already announced its Switzerland branch will be accepting bitcoin. Also planning to install an ATM in main building of its Swiss office.
http://www.indiabitcoin.com/ey-switzerland-accepts-bitcoin-and-installs-atm/

Most of the lawyers here in my country dont even know about bitcoin propoerly adopting it as a currency is absolutely a next level thing here. So just cannot imagine such a case in India anytime soon. Most of them have problems related to disposal of currency not many are accepting it to buy things of daily needs.

Well that is not their side of specialty and lawyers actually do prefer cash because off course that's how most works. Lawyers are not the only job that could accept bitcoin. Because in the future most assets would be in bitcoin and other services now are starting to make bitcoin as part of their transaction. Their is an article even that a certain in school in switzerland is accepting bitcoin. So the question now would be which country would be next one to innovate bitcoin in there transaction.

It seems to me that Switzerland is not an indicator. they always remained neutral and lived by in order to have the most favorable conditions to attract money from around the world. They were not interested in the origins of this capital. After Switzerland stopped to save banking secrecy it was not interesting to store money. Now through bitcoin, they will try to attract global capital and to restore confidence. Even if the other countries will prohibit the use of cryptocurrencies, I think that Switzerland will be for us a safe haven.

I think the significance of lawyers accepting BTC is that they are one of the more conservative professions. Good to know that this trend is spreading, even if slowly.

Bitcoin is not a legal here in our country but not ban therefore we could receive payments of our services thru our local exchange anytime as long as their is local wallet accounts between the clients and the provider. Paying our services thru bitcoin is a very convenient and safest way this will reduce the hassle during buying bitcoin bitcoin in the market for investment plus avoiding the transactions fees.

Because still, people don't have awareness about Bitcoin and its acceptance. If Bitcoin is legal in India then they will start accepting Bitcoin as payment for their services. I think in the country like Japan lawyers will accept Bitcoin as a payment method because Bitcoin is legal in Japan.

Im an attorney and I accept Bitcoin

beat a meth trafficking charge today.

facing 15 years.

not guilty.

high five boys.

I have friends and family that are lawyers but I never heard any of them mentioning about accepting Bitcoun or other cryptocurrencies in exchange of their services. This is probably because my country, the Philippines, has not yet totally advertised Bitcoin and so only small percentage of the population is familiar with Bitcoin.

But I believe, as Bitcoin continues it's success, the Philippines will soon know and accept Bitcoin in our economy. And sooner or later, lawyers will be now interested to accept Bitcoins in exchange of their legal services.

As long as their country are not against bitcoin, I think it will not a major problem instead it's a great point in order to increase bitcoin popularity especially around laywer community
I'm sure there will be more bitcoin whale trader if bitcoin is being interest by major lawyer around the world

In my country many lawyers do not even know the name of bitcoin. How they can accept such a currency as their fees which they do not know anything about. May be in advanced countries where the ATM machines are installed and the lawyers better understand bitcoin and its benefits. Otherwise in third world countries it is still a dream and will be dream for coming few years.

what about accountants? I know that cashing out crypto is considered capital gains, but if youre using it for everyday things, how does that work? Same thing for businesses

I haven't had the such experience because my country is not that open about using bitcoin .
The world is changing towards bitcoin as many people are accepting it as means of payment . Many people including lawyers know the potential of bitcoin that is why they are accepting it . The jurisdictions accepting bitcoin is a very good way of promoting use of bitcoin in their country.                                                                                                   

That's a good service paying bitcoin as a payment i hope my country offered that not just a Lawyers particulary im different job bitcoin has a fast transaction and a secured currencym

Smart move  ;)

That is Why We Have to Promote and Advertise Bitcoin Throughout the World since This is Decentralized and hard To Be Trace. Eventually lawyers accepting bitcoin is not in such a great number, because we members are Helping to build the Foundation of bitcoin as Digital/Crypto Currency, to be Accepted as Payment.

The fact that lawyers accept bitcoin is good but it's just a drop in the ocean. It seems to me that this will not have any impact on the situation. The most important thing now is to launch the possibility of buying goods with bitcoins all online stores. I hope that soon it will be done. Now we see timid attempts to do it. Don't understand why this niche is still not filled.

I hope one day will be the same thing here in Slovenia where I come from... Over here no one want consider anything other than euro... but i'm sure things gonna change quickly...

In my personal understanding the committee only wanted the lawyers to have an additional payment method for their service as they are requiring lawyers who have received Bitcoin as payment to be converted inmediately to U.S. Dollars in order to mitigate the volatility and also the overpayment of service due to the price of Bitcoin increasing. This is a good requirement as lawyers must not be overpaid in any work because it is one of their ethical requirements as a lawyer.

Mt law office accept BTC and ETH since about 3 years... nothing illegal here in Montreal, as long as you report your income, just as with fiat.

Louis
www.bitcoin-law.ca

Bitcoin is slowly spreading worldwide that's why it is not surprising that payments for some of the professionals are in cryptocurrency. Since they are lawyers, they know what are the applicable laws. In my country, I don't know any professional services that accept bitcoin or ethereum but sooner or later I believe, there would be someone who would consider it as payment option. The accountants, lawyers, engineers, doctors etc. maybe would consider it. Bitcoin is not yet legal but not banned in our country so maybe when bitcoin is regulated then they would accept it.

It will depend if the attorney is aware in bitcoin i think they will accept to be part of their services they will give option to all people who are wanting to used their services but if people is not aware in crypto currency i think they will not be interested in bitcoin.

It's great for people who want to use bitcoin as main transaction and with lawyer business will make a new opportunity for crypto trading world wide.
If only our government also support  bitcoin as well it won't be a major problem instead it will bring positive value for bitcoin globally

We are accept as well )

No, but I think if an attorney knows about bitcoin then he will gladly accept it as a form of payment. It depends on the client and lawyer discussion where they can decide whether it's going to be money, stocks, shares or bitcoin that have agreed to be the payment.

That is a good step that lawyers can do imagine if they were paid for a service
worth $10,000 in BTC and once the price of the coin increase their income will also
increase for that service. My only question is how are they going to pay their taxes
for the income they had in Bitcoin?

It will be a turning point if it happened so, and bitcoin will slowly and gradually pave its path for being used in daily life for buying and selling instead of paper money, in Switzerland some institutions have started accepting bitcoin as a payment for tuition fee. So it is indicating that bitcoin is going to replace paper money in buying and selling of necessities  daily life 

Just imagine if BTC price will be lower than 1000 USD. 10k USD for the lawyer now this is 10k USD in 2018; who knows what will be with BTC.

No one know the future of bitcoin but to get the attetion of everybody here in bitcoin is so good to know and i think because of that we can think that we can have a future here like this thread about lawyers accepting bitcoin for services,I think lawyers is one of a good job in the world so knowing that they accept bitcoin is good to know because think if they spread bitcoin in other person to pay his/her job in bitcoin the value will become high because of that

As an attorney who accepts BTC I also run the risk of the BTC dropping in value. When I receive the BTC for my fees I immediately convert it into fiat and place that in my trust account. As I earn it and pay on it I declare it as income and then report it on my year end taxes.

Best:

George D. Greenberg, Esq.
www.attorneybitcoin.com

really? it is a very good things to have a lawyer paying with btc. i wish i could do this. But being a man  of a country where it is not approved can be difficult. Good wishes though!!

That's a nice idea i hope not just lawyers could accepting bitcoin i hope many jobs could accept bitcoin as a wage and as a services payment. But this is a start of cardless payments.

I think is the great idea, it will improve the service. So it will make easy people for choose the another payment option.
In the future also many kind of business will accept bitcoin as a payment. I see my friends use bitcoin as a payment, because it will more profitable.

I don't think that there's a lawyer that accept bitcoin for their services. Because if it is happen I'm sure that many people will get their justice for themselves. In real world justice was paid by money, so if the bitcoin accepted by the lawyer many average or middle class of people will afford to hired lawyer to get the justice in their life.

As long as the underlying fee is reasonable and free from passing on transaction costs, there's nothing in the ethics rules of most jurisdictions that would prevent a lawyer or law firm from accepting any form of payment, including bitcoin.  Whether any do or not is an entirely separate question that I have no insight into.

It is definitely a good choice to accept money in bitcoin, you will get paid and you don't have to invest in any other place like stock market and all were you have to rush every now and then and get saved from aggressive buyers and sellers,
just accept the money and see it growing.

Well it depends on the lawyer if they agree bitcoin as a payment nothing wrong with that and beside you can cash out your bitcoin if they do not agree for the payment method. Everyone want bitcoin now so it is possible that the other lawyer will accept bitcoin as a payment.

A really smart move for lawyers that have known bitcoin for long. They could insist first that they accept btc but I still doubt that their clients will do that. Their clients must be hoarding a lot of bitcoins so I guess only a few lawyer could have that payment opportunity.

I think there is no problem from that. Who no matter what is your profession in life, you have right to ask bitcoin as substitute payment as long as the other party has capacity to pay it.

This is true which instead for those people who wanted a service from a lawyer they would surely tend to make use on their own local fiat currency rather than on their bitcoin itself since they do know the possibilities on making profits by just hoarding bitcoin for a long period of time. Instead on wasting it up they would rather save it and use fiat instead but well people do have different decisions when it comes on spending their bitcoins.

This is an improvement in bitcoin transactions and at the same time, bitcoin has begun to be accepted by governments in nevada. If bitcoin is already used for payment of lawyer profession then it is possible in the future for other professions such as construction workers, doctors and pharmacists will also be paid using bitcoin and this will have a big impact on people to start using bitcoin.

I was amazed that some lawyers from other countries accept bitcoins as payment for their services. :o I wonder if that will happen to in our country.

If it would happen into a certain country then it would not really make a difference but added up an another option to make use of our bitcoin but same as others said they would rather keep it up and save them than on wasting up on using on lawyers service since they can able to pay them with local money.Its good to hear that they are already on the boat on adopting bitcoin.Some do realize its usage and benefits but I'm sure there are still some lawyers do have negative views on bitcoin.

Regulation aside, who wouldnt accept bitcoin? (at least up to this price level). bitcoin is seemingly property at the moment, as long as the bitcoin wasnt the proceeds of criminality, it should be good to transact with, and thus pay folks for services with. now, you may have to do some explaining to the board if you accept bitcoin from a guy you represent that was say, instrumental in the hacking of GOX. you payment may well be evidence. but if the crime is unrelated to bitcoin, why the hell not?


there is a reason why steam just stopped accepting btc, and it has nothing to do with the reason they stated in public, imo.

do not acxept the offering in the way of btc.

only applies to countries with legal jurisdiction for bitcoin, lawyers are also obedient to government regulations and not all countries allow it
if they do with the secret it will violate the rules and will be affected by legal consequences, but actually the article submitted by the OP is very good progress

In fact you can earn more because of this simply the price of bitcoin are continue to soar higher. But in my opinion I will not use my bitcoin just to pay his service because I value bitcoin and I know bitcoin can make me rich in the future, better to hold it.

I personally have never heard of a lawyer getting paid with bitcoin. So far, my country has not legalized bitcoin. And I think, it would be a consideration to receive bitcoin as payment for services, as well as goods.

If lawyers did already accept bitcoin as a payment then its normal to think of that particular country is already legalizing or adopting bitcoin because same as you said if they would secretly accept without the approval of the government would really have a significant punishment or consequences.Its really surprising for this thing to happen on where even lawyers already seeing the potential and possible benefits of bitcoin.
This would be great for those people who do live on those country but I believe this would only be a few.

I am sure that lawyers accept bitcoin for payment for its services using gaps in the legislation. This does not mean that it is legal. It seems to me that in any case it is now a violation of currency laws. In my country also a lot of possibilities when buying mining equipment, you can pay with bitcoin. Is our verbal agreement and such transactions take place under the shadow of the government. We still have a long wait for legalization but I don't want to. I like everything as it is now.

Well it's become a good prospect for bitcoin in the future as it can be use into more service.
I won't be surprise that bitcoin will start increase more exponentially in the 2018 !

Unfortunately, my government still not legalized it so it's difficult for my lawyer to accept bitcoin as well

In my own opinion accepting bitcoin for the services rendered by a lawyer is great thing. There is no problem on that at all.
As long as the client can pay what the lawyer asks, so be it; because it is a legal thing and no jurisdiction of the law has been forbidden.

Bitcoin is a promising currency and is allowing the mass to grow and enlist their name among the rich of future, and fulfill  their needs of today. It is progressing very speedy and is giving a tough competition to the regular currencies. In future it is about to replace all regular currencies for buying and selling in daily life. Those who are accepting bitcoin for services are wise.

Lawyers are very smart, they were know the Constitution of each country together with the rules and regulations, aside from that the law. Most of them are pretty wise so I'm sure that they were accepted bitcoin because they are knows that it is legit.

I'm sure many of lawyers in the whole world have an investment to this coin. Because lawyers know that crypto in the future will growing fast and healthy.

If we do try to see directly into their job and engagement on bitcoin I would say that they are really opposing to each other since we do know that lawyers are do always go with a countries law but as long it isn't still have any laws and restriction of bitcoin to be used on their country then I think it should be fine for them to accept bitcoin as a payment for their service.As long theres still no regulations then it wont really be a bothering thing for them.

GREAT POINT! ... Payment USING bitcoin. 

yet lawyers are mostly interested in cash there never believe in BTH because it is internet money so i dint think so may be in future there can server you in BTH

I never knew that there are attorney that accept bitcoins. I wish there are also that kind of attorney outside united states. In my country some attorney accept real estate as an payment most commonly if the case is talking about is a huge land acquisition case.

Its legit and do really have value this is what those lawyers do see such thing but when it comes on the literal legal thing then its still debatable since not all countries do really consider bitcoin as a good thing. Most of them would really have negative impressions which would really make them a new law that would prohibit it which lawyers would really be aware on such changes but well even they would still remain on collecting bitcoin no one would able to know for sure.

I praise those country with a full support to the bitcoin and the whole cryptocurrency technology. I hope many country including where I live follow the steps done by those attorney in Nebraska. Let this news be heard and broadcast from other country newspaper and television so that the government will stop the restriction or lift the ban in our beloved bitcoins and other crypto.

Bitcoin is a practical and digital form of currency. That is why, there is no reason for lawyers to be very alarmed with accepting them for services as well.

Its really nice to see even those lawyers would really decide to accept such coin for their service not only to bitcoin but also on other cryptocoins too but expecting that it would be broadcasted into another place or country which is somehow impossible because each country do have different views into bitcoin and its their decision if they would block it or not but in terms of payment of service of those lawyers paying up bitcoin would be a convenience for us if we don't have local fiat money.

No, I havn't encountered with any lawyer accepting BTC  in real life.  Few days back I read a news saying that E&Y(Big 4 accounting service providers) in Switzerland are planning to accept BTC as their consultancy fees from their client, Even they are also planning to install an ATM in swizerland outside their office.