Case Title: Plaintiff v. Defendant

Citation: 2014-Ohio-521

Docket Number: 2013-1288

State: ohio

Court: Ohio Supreme Court

Date: 2014-02-18T00:00:00Z

Document:
[Until this opinion appears in the Ohio Official Reports advance sheets, it may be cited as 
Cleveland Metro. Bar Assn. v. Hernick, Slip Opinion No. 2014-Ohio-521.] 
 
 
NOTICE 
This slip opinion is subject to formal revision before it is published in 
an advance sheet of the Ohio Official Reports.  Readers are requested 
to promptly notify the Reporter of Decisions, Supreme Court of Ohio, 
65 South Front Street, Columbus, Ohio 43215, of any typographical or 
other formal errors in the opinion, in order that corrections may be 
made before the opinion is published. 
 
SLIP OPINION NO. 2014-OHIO-521 
CLEVELAND METROPOLITAN BAR ASSOCIATION v. HERNICK ET AL. 
[Until this opinion appears in the Ohio Official Reports advance sheets,  
it may be cited as Cleveland Metro. Bar Assn. v. Hernick,  
Slip Opinion No. 2014-Ohio-521.] 
Unauthorized practice of law—Preparing a complaint for divorce—Consent 
decree—Injunction issued. 
(No. 2013-1288—Submitted September 11, 2013—Decided February 18, 2014.) 
ON FINAL REPORT by the Board on the Unauthorized Practice of Law of the 
Supreme Court, No. UPL 08-03. 
____________________ 
Per Curiam. 
{¶ 1} Pursuant to Gov.Bar R. VII(5b), the Board on the Unauthorized 
Practice of Law has recommended that we approve a consent decree proposed by 
relator, Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association, and respondents, Norm Hernick, 
a.k.a. Nick Shelly, Law Online, Inc., and A Divorce Fast, Inc.  We accept the 
board’s recommendation and approve the proposed consent decree submitted by 
the parties, which provides as follows: 
SUPREME COURT OF OHIO 
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1. 
Relator filed a complaint against Respondents 
alleging that they engaged in the unauthorized practice of law, in 
part by preparing a complaint for divorce on behalf of Andrea 
Colburn, formerly known as Andrea Derousse in Andrea Beth 
Derousse v. Derik Clark Derousse, Cuyahoga County Domestic 
Relations case no. DR-07-317040. 
2. 
Norm Hernick is a natural person who is not 
licensed or authorized to practice law in Ohio. 
3. 
Ms. Colburn has testified in deposition that she was 
advised by A Divorce Fast that she did not require legal advice or 
representation, and that having a contested divorce can be very 
time consuming depending on the nature of the items in dispute 
and consequently very expensive in terms of attorney fees; that she 
paid $539; that she was told by a Lisa from A Divorce Fast that the 
grounds for divorce were “irreconcilable differences”; that she told 
A Divorce Fast that she wanted child custody and support; that A 
Divorce Fast prepared a complaint for divorce without any 
provision for child custody or support; that when she took the 
complaint to court, she was told it was completely unacceptable, 
and court personnel helped her with her divorce; that she went 
back to A Divorce Fast several times but never received a return 
call from a supervisor or got her money back; that ultimately she 
was granted a divorce on grounds of incompatibility and living 
separate and apart for over one year—not “irreconcilable 
differences” as suggested by A Divorce Fast; that she relied on the 
advice that A Divorce Fast gave her; and that she obtained child 
January Term, 2014 
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support through her efforts, although A Divorce Fast led her to 
believe they would do that for her. 
4. 
Hernick has not complied with an order of the 
Supreme Court of Ohio to respond to discovery, including 
submitting to a deposition.  Relator nonetheless is willing to settle 
this matter, in keeping with the provisions of this Agreement. 
5. 
Respondents admit that they engaged in the 
unauthorized practice of law in the Derousse matter. 
6. 
Respondents agree to desist from engaging in Ohio 
in the unauthorized practice of law, directly or indirectly, 
personally or through any corporation, organization, or other 
business entity. 
7. 
Relator waives all claims for reasonable expenses 
and attorney fees in obtaining the March 4, 2010 and August 25, 
2011 Orders from the Supreme Court of Ohio. 
8. 
Respondents shall reimburse Andrea Colburn 
$539.00 and pay a penalty of $1,000.00. 
9. 
Relator agrees that if this Agreement is approved, 
Respondents reimburse Andrea Colburn $539.00, and Respondents 
pay any civil penalty that may be imposed, the jail time sanction 
should be purged and any arrest warrants vacated. 
10. 
Costs shall be the responsibility of Respondents. 
11. 
The parties stipulate to the foregoing, waive notice 
and hearing, and consent to a decree consistent with this 
settlement. 
So ordered. 
O’CONNOR, C.J., and PFEIFER, O’DONNELL, LANZINGER, KENNEDY, 
FRENCH, and O’NEILL, JJ., concur. 
SUPREME COURT OF OHIO 
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____________________ 
Norm Hernick, pro se. 
Russell A. Moorhead and D. John Travis, for relator. 
________________________