it depends on the "obligation" you are talking about. lawyers have a lot of different kind of obligations to clients. if you come in to my office but don`t hire me, my duties to you are probably very very limited. for example, if i learn something that might be helpful/harmful to you next year, i probably have no duty to track you down and inform you about it - though I may have some duty to inform a "real" client about the helpful/harmful info. the lawyer is not a hostage the minute somebody walks through their door.
I`m not sure what the difference is between "telling them something" and "consulting."
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James Lindon, Ph.D. Patent Attorney
Lindon & Lindon, LLC
Cleveland, Ohio
Patents, Trademarks, Copyrights, Pharmacy Law, Litigation
[this is not legal advice - provided for discussion only]
Intellectual Property for the Individual and Small Business: Identify, Protect, Enforce, Defend.
"Fools rush in where angels fear to tread."
http://www.LindonLaw.com