The American Bar Association’s Model Rule 1.4 requires a lawyer to “promptly comply with reasonable requests for information.” The commentary is specific: “Client telephone calls should be promptly returned or acknowledged.” If a full answer will take time, the lawyer should “acknowledge receipt of the request and advise the client when a response may be expected.”
In Oregon, silence tops the list. The bar’s client assistance office reported: “The number one complaint for 2012 was lack of communication.”