In th e S u p re m e Co u rt o f Ge o rg ia

De c id e d: F e b ru a ry 1 6 , 2 0 1 5

S 1 5 Y 0 2 8 5 .IN THE MATTER OF WES LEY KENT HILL.

P ER CURIAM.

Th is d isc ip lin a

ry m a tte r is b e fo re th e Co u rt o n th e P e titio n fo r Vo lu n ta ry

Disc ip lin e file d by Re sp o n d e n t We sle y Ke n t Hill ( S ta te Ba r N o

. 2 1 1 0 6 2 ), in

wh ic h he se e k s to re so lv e a grie v a n c e su b m itte d b y two fo rm e r c lie n ts. In h is

p e titio n

, Hill a d m its th a t h e v io la te d Ru le s 1 .3

, 1 .4 a nd 8 .4 (a ) (4 ) o f th e Ge o rg ia

Ru le s o f P r o f

e ssio na l Co nd uc t, se e Ba r Ru le 4 -1 02 (d ). He re q u e sts th a t th e

Co u rt im p o se a n in d e fin ite su sp e n sio n o f no le ss th a n six m o nth s o n h is a b ility

to pra c tic e la w, with c o nd i t i o n s f o r re in sta te m e nt. Th e S ta te Ba r h a s n o

o b je c tio n to Hill’s p e titio n

.

In h is p e titio n Hill a d m its th a t a c o u p le p a id h im a $ 3 ,0 0 0.0 0 re ta in e r a n d

a g re e d to p a y $ 3 0 0 .0 0 a m o n th d u rin g th e c o u rse o f th e p ro c e e d in g s re g a rd in g

th e fo re c lo su re o f th e ir h o m e

. Hill file d a c o m p la in t fo r in

ju nc tiv e re lie f to se t

a sid e th e fo re c lo su re

, re p re se n te d th e c lie n ts in a d isp osse sso ry p ro c e e d in g a n d

a tte m p te d to n e go tia te a re so lu tio n th a t w o u ld a llo w th e m to re m a in in th e irh o m e

. Th e ba nk re m o v e d th e c a se to fe d e ra l c ou rt an d file d a m o tio n to dism iss.

Hill c o nc lu d e d th a t th e c a se wo u ld n o t su rv iv e th e m o tio n to d ism iss, b u t h e d id

n o t re sp o n d to th e m otio n s o r te ll h i s c l i e n t s th a t th e c a se ha d b e e n re m o v e d ;

in ste a d, h e l e d t h e m to b e lie ve th e c a se wa s still in sta te c o u rt a n d th a t h e wa s

ta k in g a c tio ns to pro te c t th e ir in te re sts. Th e fa m ily e v e n tu a lly wa s e vic te d

. Hill

a lso fa ile d to re sp o n d to a fe e a rb itra tio n d isp ute , an d a n a wa rd wa s e n te re d in

fa v o r of th e c lie n ts in th e a m o u n t o f $ 4 ,7 0 0 .0 0

. In th e p e titio n Hill sta te s th a t

h e h a s su ffe re d fro m de p re ssio n a n d a nx ie ty sin c e 1 9 9 1

, fo r wh ic h h e h a s b e e n

u n d e r c o n tin u a l tre a tm e n t. Alth o u g h h e ha s b e e n c o m plia n t with re c o m m e n d e d

tre a tm e nt, h is sy m

p to m s o f ge n e ra liz e d a n x ie ty d iso rd e r a n d m a jo r d e pre ssiv e

d i s o r d er a re e x a c e rb a te d with life a n d wo rk stre sso rs. Hill sa y s th a t wh ile

re p re se n tin g th e se c lie n ts

, h e we n t th ro u g h a d iffic ult tim e m a n a g in g h is

c o n d itio n

, b e c a m e o v e rwh e lm e d

, a n d e xp e rie n c e d a p a ra ly sis th a t ke p t h im f ro m

ta k in g a p p ro p ria te a c tio n s. Hill h a s re a liz e d th a t h e is no t c u rre n tly a b le to

a d e q u a te ly m a n a g e th e stre sso rs in h e re n t in th e p ra c tic e o f la w, a n d th a t it is n o t

in th e in te re st o f his h e a lth o r o f his c lie n ts th a t h e a tte m p t to d o so

. Hill c e a se d

p ra c tic in g la w in o r a

bo u t Ma y 20 1 3

, c l o s e d h is o ffic e a n d m ov e d to S o u th

Ca ro lin a to fo c u s o n his h e a lth

. Hill sta te s th a t h e sin c e re ly re g re ts his c o n d u c t

2a n d h a s sa tisfie d th e a rb itra tio n a wa rd b y te n d e rin g th e a wa rd to th e Co m m itte e

o n th e Arb itra tio n o f Atto rn e y F e e D isp u te s. In a d d itio n to a n in d e fin ite

su sp e n sio n o f n o le ss th a n six m o n th s, Hill a g re e s to c o n d itio n h is re in sta te m e n t

u p o n a th o ro u g h psy c h o lo g ic a l o r p sy c h ia tric e v a lu a tio n in dic a tin g th a t h e is n o

lo n g e r su ffe rin g fro m a n im p a irm e n t th a t a ffe c ts h is a b ility to p ra c tic e la w, th a t

su c h e v a lu a tio n w i l l b e p e rfo rm e d a t h is e x p e nse b y a p h y sic ia n a c c e p ta b le to

th e Sta te Ba r, a

n d th a t h e will wa iv e a n y c o n fid e n tia lity o r p riv ile g e with re g a rd

to th e e v a lu a tio n

. T h e Sta te Ba r c o n firm e d th a t H ill h a s p a id th e fe e arb itra tio n

a wa rd

, th a t h e ha s n o p r e v i o u s d isc ip lin a ry histo ry

, a n d th a t h e ha s b e e n

c o o p e ra tiv e a

n d fo rth c o m in g in th e se p ro c e e din g s.

Ha v in g re v ie we d th e re c o rd

, we c o n c lu d e t h at a c c e p t a

n c e o f H ill’s p e titio n

fo r v o lu n t a r y d isc ip lin e is a p p ro p ria te g iv e n h is m e n ta l h e a lth issu e s.

Ac c o rd in g ly

, we a c c e p t t h e p e titio n a nd d ire c t th a t We sle y Ke n t Hill b e

su sp e n d e d in d e fin ite ly fro m th e p ra c tic e o f la w i n th e S ta te o f Ge o rg ia

. We

fu rth e r d e te rm in e th a t h is re in sta te m e n t is su b je c t to th e fo llo win g c o nd itio n s:

(1 ) Hill sh a ll no t se e k re in sta te m e n t a n y e arlie r th a n six m o n th s fro m th e d a te

o f th is o p in io n;

(2 ) In c o n n e c tio n with a n y p e titio n fo r re in sta te m e n t

, h e sh a ll su b m it a

3p sy c ho lo g ic a l o r p sy c h ia tric e v a lu a tio n in dic a tin g th a t h e is n o lo n g e r su ffe rin g

fro m a n im

p a irm e n t th a t a ffe c ts h is a b ility to p ra c tic e la w. S u c h e v a lu a tio n will

b e p e rfo rm e d a t his e x p e n se b y a p h y sic ia n a c c e p ta b le to th e Sta te Ba r, a n d Hill

will wa iv e a n y c on fid e n tia lity o r p riv ile g e with re g ard to th e e va lu a tio n ;

(3 ) He sh a ll su b m it h is p e titio n fo r re in sta te m e nt t o t h e R e v ie w P a n e l fo r

issu a nc e o f a

re p o rt a n d re c o m m e n d a tio n to th is Co u rt; a n d

(4 ) He sh a ll n o t u n d e rta k e th e p ra c tic e o f la w u n til th is Co u rt issu e s a n o p in io n

g ra n tin g o r d e ny in g h is p e titio n fo r re in sta te m e n t, se e In th e M a tte r o f F a ir, 2 9 2

Ga . 3 08 (7 3 6 S E2 d 4 3 0 ) (2 0 1 3 ).

Hill is re m in d e d o f h is d u tie s u n d e r Ba r Ru le 4 -2 1 9 (c ).

P e titio n fo r v o lu n ta ry d isc ip lin e a c c e p te d

. In d e fin ite su sp e n sio n wi t h

c o n d itio n s fo r re in sta te m e n t. All th e Ju stic e s c o n c u r.

4