Opinion ID: 2637826
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: Respondent Sets up an Office in the Parties' Marital Residence [6]

Text: After Respondent agreed to represent Mrs. E, she allowed him to use her home as an office. As a result, Respondent kept Mrs. E's files in her home, as well as those concerning Respondent's former wife, another client Respondent represented in a pending divorce. In addition, Respondent hired Mrs. E to help him organize her case file and that of his former wife, Mrs. E's best friend. Respondent's ex-wife, and airline pilot, stayed with Mrs. E when she was back from work. Mrs. E testified that her home accommodated a large number of people and that she often welcomed friends and relatives to stay with her, including Respondent. Mrs. E's home, a large cabin with a private access, was located in a remote area west of Denver near Deer Creek. While representing both his former wife and Mrs. E, Respondent admitted that he had spent the night at Mrs. E's residence approximately five to six times. Twice while staying overnight, Respondent slept with Mrs. E in her bed. [7] They had also spent over a week together in Belize at a property belonging to Respondent's former wife and her husband. Respondent and Mrs. E both characterized their trip to Belize as a business trip related to his former wife's divorce. Nevertheless, Mrs. E admitted that she and Respondent spent time together visiting the zoo in Belize, snorkeling with a friend of Mrs. E, and taking pictures that the parties' adult son later found on Respondent's laptop computer in Mrs. E's bedroom. Although the primary legal issues in the divorce concerned division of marital property and maintenance, Mrs. E and Respondent wanted Mr. E to pay for counseling for the couple's adult children for the alleged sexual abuse Mr. E inflicted upon them as minors. [8] Given her husband's alleged sexual misconduct, Mrs. E felt concerned about her own safety and for the safety of her grandchildren who lived with her. [9] In addition, she felt disturbed by her adult son's disparaging comments about her and her relationship with Respondent. She felt that her husband had been manipulating their adult son. Before Respondent commenced his representation of Mrs. E, the parties attempted to resolve the economic issues in their divorce. [10] However, after Mr. E and the parties' adult son accused his mother of having an affair with Respondent, Mrs. E wrote to Respondent, I wish there was something I could do to expose how sick [my husband] is. [11] Respondent conducted the depositions of Mr. E and the parties' adult son following this note to Respondent.