Case Title: The Florida Bar v. Matus

Citation: 528 So. 2d 895

Docket Number: 

State: florida

Court: Florida Supreme Court

Date: 1988-05-19T00:00:00Z

Document:
528 So. 2d 895 (1988)
THE FLORIDA BAR, Petitioner,
v.
Dr. Francisco J. MATUS d/b/a Latinoamericana De Inmigracion, Inc., Respondent.
No. 71873.

Supreme Court of Florida.
May 19, 1988.
Rehearing Denied August 19, 1988.
Ray Ferrero, Jr., President, Fort Lauderdale, Rutledge R. Liles, President-elect, Jacksonville, John F. Harkness, Jr., Executive Director, John T. Berry, Staff Counsel, Mary Ellen Bateman, Unlicensed Practice of Law Counsel, and Lori S. Holcomb, Asst. Unlicensed Practice of Law, Tallahassee, and Robert M. Sondak, Chairman, Standing Committee on Unlicensed Practice of Law, Miami, for petitioner.
No appearance for respondent.
BARKETT, Justice.
This cause is before us upon The Florida Bar's petition to enjoin Dr. Francisco J. Matus d/b/a Latinoamericana De Inmigracion, Inc., from the unauthorized practice of law. We have jurisdiction. Art. V, § 15, Fla. Const.
Since respondent failed to answer the order to show cause issued by this Court, we take the allegations of the petition as true under Rule 10-5.1(b)(4), Rules Regulating the Florida Bar, and decide the case upon its merits.
The allegations indicate that the respondent is not a member of The Florida Bar and engaged in the following activities:
The preparation of forms to effect a change in immigration status requires legal training and familiarity with immigration laws, and failure to properly prepare the forms could result in great harm, including deportation. See The Florida Bar v. Moreno-Santana, 322 So. 2d 13 (Fla. 1975); The Florida Bar v. Lugo-Rodriguez, 317 So. 2d 721 (Fla. 1975); The Florida Bar v. Escobar, 322 So. 2d 25 (Fla. 1975); The Florida Bar v. Borges-Caignet, 321 So. 2d 550 (Fla. 1975). Holding one-self out to be an attorney when not so licensed itself constitutes the unauthorized practice of law. The Florida Bar v. Martin, 432 So. 2d 54 (Fla. 1983); The Florida Bar v. Schell, 422 So. 2d 308 (Fla. 1982); The Florida Bar v. Moran, 273 So. 2d 390 (Fla. 1973).
Accepting the uncontested allegations in this petition as true, we hold that respondent held himself out as legally qualified to perform immigration services, which constitutes the unauthorized practice of law in Florida. We therefore permanently enjoin and restrain respondent from engaging in the acts complained of and from otherwise engaging in the practice of law in this state.
It is so ordered.
McDONALD, C.J., and OVERTON, EHRLICH, SHAW, GRIMES and KOGAN, JJ., concur.