At times interpreters and translators are required to use their discretion to assess situations they encounter and make decisions based on grounds that they can fully justify and that are in the best interests of the profession. This paper examines the universality of codes of ethics for interpreters and translators and argues that these are not fully applicable across different settings within the same country or across countries and cultures. Utilizing data from real-life situations, this paper proposes strategies for overcoming ethical dilemmas in real interpreting and translation work.