What is an exception to the rule against splitting fees with non-lawyers?

The correct answer relates to the provisions governing the sharing of fees among lawyers and how they may interact with non-lawyers. In the context of legal ethics, jurisdictions generally prohibit lawyers from splitting their fees with non-lawyers to maintain the integrity of the profession and avoid potential conflicts of interest that may arise from non-lawyer influence over legal matters.

However, payment to heirs of a deceased partner is an established exception to this rule. When a legal partnership dissolves due to the death of one of its partners, the firm may allow for payments to the deceased partner's heirs as part of the financial settlement related to the partner's share in the partnership. This compensatory payment does not violate the ethical rules regarding fee-splitting since it is a distribution of partnership assets rather than a direct payment for services rendered by a non-lawyer.

The other options do not align with recognized exceptions to the rule. Payment to another lawyer is permissible as there are specific rules in place about sharing fees between lawyers under joint agreements, and paying for advertising services also does not involve the unlawful sharing of fees. Sharing profits with non-profit organizations does not generally constitute an exception to the rule against fee-splitting with non-lawyers since it would still represent a distribution of legal service