An Illinois appeals court has required a legal malpractice insurer to defend an attorney who admitted to the heirs of a client that he’d made a mistake in drafting a will.

In a case of first impression, the Appellate Court of Illinois, First District, on Nov. 9 deemed unenforceable a clause in attorney Frank Greenfield’s policy with the Illinois State Bar Association Mutual Insurance Co. that required him to get the insurer’s consent before admitting any liability to a client.