Title: The Florida Bar v. Furman

State: florida

Issuer: Florida Supreme Court

Document:

376 So. 2d 378 (1979)
THE FLORIDA BAR, Petitioner,
v.
Rosemary W. FURMAN, Etc., Respondent.
No. 51226.

Supreme Court of Florida.
May 10, 1979.
On Rehearing and Opinion Clarified November 1, 1979.
Bernard H. Dempsey, Jr., Chairman, Standing Committee on Unauthorized Practice of Law, Orlando, Lacy Mahon, Jr., Bar Counsel, Jacksonville, and H. Glenn Boggs, II and John A. Weiss, Asst. Staff Counsels, Tallahassee, for petitioner.
*379 Albert J. Hadeed, Southern Legal Counsel, Inc., Gainesville, and Alan B. Morrison, pro hac vice, Washington, D.C., for respondent.
William H. Adams, III, Jacksonville, for amicus curiae.
PER CURIAM.
The Florida Bar has petitioned this Court to enjoin Rosemary W. Furman, d/b/a Northside Secretarial Service, from unauthorized practice of law in the State of Florida. Our jurisdiction to rule in this matter is provided by article V, section 15 of the Florida Constitution and by The Florida Bar Integration Rule, article XVI. We find the activities of the respondent to constitute the practice of law and permanently enjoin her from the further unauthorized practice of law.
The Florida Bar alleged, through an amended petition dated September 23, 1977, that Furman, a non-lawyer, engaged in the unauthorized practice of law by giving legal advice and by rendering legal services in connection with marriage dissolutions and adoptions in the years 1976 and 1977. The bar specifically alleges that Furman performed legal services for at least seven customers by soliciting information from them and preparing pleadings in violation of Florida law. The bar further contends that through advertising in the Jacksonville Journal, a newspaper of general circulation, Furman held herself out to the public as having legal expertise in Florida family law and sold "do-it-yourself divorce kits." The bar does not contend that Furman held herself out to be a lawyer, that her customers suffered any harm as a result of the services rendered, or that she has failed to perform the services for which she was paid.
In describing her activities, Furman states that she does not give legal advice, that she does prepare pleadings that meet the desires of her clients, that she charges no more than $50 for her services, and that her assistance to customers is in aid of their obtaining self-representative relief from the courts. In general, the respondent alleges as a defense that the ruling of this court in Florida Bar v. Brumbaugh, 355 So. 2d 1186 (Fla. 1978), violates the first amendment to the United States Constitution by restricting her right to disseminate and the right of her customers to receive information which would allow indigent litigants access to the state's domestic relations courts. She alleges that our holding in Brumbaugh is so narrow that it deprives citizens who are indigent of equal protection of the laws as provided by the Florida and United States constitutions.
When this case was at issue, we referred it to retired Circuit Judge P.B. Revels of the Seventh Judicial Circuit, one of Florida's most experienced trial judges, to serve as referee. The referee has filed his report which, in pertinent part, indicates:
The referee made the following findings:
The referee's findings must be approved unless they are erroneous or wholly lacking in evidentiary support. Florida Bar v. Wagner, 212 So. 2d 770 (Fla. 1968).
We do not write on a clean slate in this case. Last year we took the opportunity to clearly define to non-lawyers the proper realm in which they could operate without engaging in the unauthorized practice of law. In Brumbaugh, we clearly stated what services a similar secretarial business could lawfully perform. We said:
355 So. 2d  at 1194.
Our directions could not have been clearer.
Before the referee and before this court, Furman admitted that she did not abide by the dictates of Brumbaugh. She says that it is impossible for her to operate her "do-it-yourself divorce kit" business in compliance with this court's ruling in that case. The bar alleges that Furman has engaged in the unauthorized practice of law as previously defined by this court. The referee so found. She so admits. We believe the referee's findings are supported by the evidence.
In other portions of the referee's report, he urges that as part of our disposition in this case we require the bar to conduct a *382 study to determine how to provide effective legal services to the indigent. Without question, it is our responsibility to promote the full availability of legal services. We deem it more appropriate, however, to address this issue in a separate proceeding. By doing so under our supervisory power, we insure a thorough consideration of the overall problem without delaying the present adjudication.
Devising means for providing effective legal services to the indigent and poor is a continuing problem. The Florida Bar has addressed this subject with some success. In spite of the laudable efforts by the bar, however, this record suggests that even more attention needs to be given to this subject.
Therefore, we direct The Florida Bar to begin immediately a study to determine better ways and means of providing legal services to the indigent. We further direct that a report on the findings and conclusions from this study be prepared and filed with this court on or before January 1, 1980, at which time we will examine the problem and consider solutions.
Accordingly, we find that Rosemary Furman, d/b/a Northside Secretarial Service, has been guilty of the unauthorized practice of law by virtue of the activities recited herein and she is hereby permanently enjoined and restrained from further engaging in the unauthorized practice of law in the State of Florida.
It is so ordered.
ENGLAND, C.J., and ADKINS, BOYD, OVERTON, SUNDBERG, HATCHETT and ALDERMAN, JJ., concur.
ALDERMAN, J., Concurring in part, dissenting in part.
I concur in the revision of the original opinion, but I would also tax the costs of this proceeding against the respondent, Rosemary W. Furman.
The Florida Bar properly brought to the attention of this Court the respondent's unlawful activity. As a result, the respondent has been found guilty of the unauthorized practice of law. There has been no wrong-doing on the part of the Bar. The culprit in this case is Rosemary W. Furman. If she had not violated the law, it would not have been necessary for The Florida Bar to bring this action. The respondent is the guilty party, and she is the one who should pay the costs that were necessarily incurred by The Florida Bar to stop her illegal activity.